I am honored and proud to be leading the International Sea Glass Association as the incoming President. Thank you to the Board of Directors for trusting me in this new journey and current members for being part of this unique organization. To new members, welcome! You were all selected because of your expertise and talent, and we have no doubt you will represent ISGA’s mission professionally. We have a busy year ahead of us and I look forward to working together with everyone to achieve our goals and continue to grow our organization.

Sea glass has been part of my family for almost 25 years. At first, we would bring all these little pieces home from our walks at the beach in Puerto Rico just to fill decorative containers at home. We knew what sea glass was but did not realize there was a large community surrounding it. We started to learn more about sea glass and met other amazing collectors from the mainland who would regularly visit us for beachcombing. Little did I know this would be the beginning of an amazing ride for me.

In 2015 I started my business Silver Coquí Sea Glass. I started making jewelry, but my focus became more centered on art using genuine sea glass from the beach I grew up on. The first festival I visited was Kim Hannon’s St. Michaels Eastern Shore Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival. I was excited to see a large sea glass community all in one place. Not long after, I learned about the International Sea Glass Association (ISGA), (previously National Sea Glass Association, NASGA) where Kim served as president. I joined the Association in 2019 and then the Board of Directors in 2021 as the Treasurer.

Kim has been a great leader and contributor to the Sea Glass Association for nearly 10 years. She will be missed not only by the Board, but by all ISGA members and the community of sea glass enthusiasts who have appreciated her tireless work to champion education of genuine sea glass. Through her leadership, we have accomplished many things, such as an international expansion, as well as the introduction of our new Community Membership. Kim navigated us through COVID, ensuring the Association ran smoothly. I want to express a heartfelt thank you to Kim for all her support and commitment throughout the years! I will continue, together with the Board of Directors, to follow in her footsteps and expand ISGA’s mission to the fullest.

Warmest wishes to all for a joyful and productive 2023!

All my best,

César Williams-Padín, President, on behalf of the Board of Directors ISGA