Team Leaders

Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry, Jr., is the guardian of the Roddenberry legacy and champions its timeless and universal ideals to new generations through creative and inspiring science fiction productions, merchandise, publishing, underwater adventures and philanthropy.

As the son of legendary science fiction producer, Gene Roddenberry, whose Star Trek series changed the face of television and continues to inspire today, Rod has followed in his father’s footsteps to be a catalyst in the creation of a world where humanity works together for the greater good.

Rod became chief executive officer in 2001 of Roddenberry Entertainment, a science fiction leader with a tradition of groundbreaking entertainment. Roddenberry Entertainment builds on the best of Gene Roddenberry’s work and continues to pioneer the development of a multi-media portfolio of smart and provocative science fiction that incorporates graphic novels, comics, television and film projects, including the critically acclaimed Trek Nation, which debuted in 2011.

Trek Nation is the documentation of Rod’s 10-year journey to explore his father’s life. The undertaking inspired him to fully embrace the vision Gene had for the world and invest himself in its future. One expression of this was the founding of The Roddenberry Foundation in 2010. The Roddenberry Foundation funds paradigm-changing solutions to critical global issues in science and technology, the environment, education and humanitarian advances.

The Roddenberry legacy is further lived out through the Roddenberry Dive Team. Much like his father navigated the heavens through Star Trek, Rod founded and leads the adventure-based dive team in its exploration of strange, new underwater worlds and strives to inspire stewardship of our oceans. A scuba diver since 1993, Rod holds a Divemaster certification and has participated or led more than 1,000 dives from exotic locations around the world.

Jennifer Black

Jennifer Black grew up in the West Texas desert, an unlikely place to begin life for an avid Scuba diver and ocean conservation professional. Her love for the ocean started at an early age during summer vacations to Florida beaches, but it was a family trip to Alaska during high school which changed her life forever. An afternoon spent watching a Humpback Whale teach her calf to surface and breathe shaped a path to a career in ocean conservation.

Jennifer has been protecting our marine and coastal resources for more than 10 years. She has managed and directed environmental education programs, marine policy efforts and promoted critical ocean conservation issues with local and national environmental non-pro?ts.

Jennifer joined the Roddenberry Dive Team in the summer of 2011 as the Marketing & Development Director to help manage team activities, engage new divers and foster environmental stewardship.

Before joining the Roddenberry Dive Team, Jennifer was the Education & Marketing Director for San Diego Coastkeeper where she managed an environmental science program that reached more than 50,000 students annually. She has served as Outreach Coordinator for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in Washington, DC where she raised awareness about protecting and preserving our 13 national marine sanctuaries and worked to create new marine protected areas, including the protection of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Jennifer served as Communications Manager for the 18 member Pew Oceans Commission, communicating the commission’s ?ndings and recommendations to members of Congress and Administration of?cials to help shape federal ocean policies.

Jennifer is an Advanced and Rescue Certi?ed diver and has been scuba diving for more than 20 years. She dives locally in Southern California and travels to exotic, International dive destinations whenever possible. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.