Michael Volpe Investigates update: Bryan Mineo out at One With the Ocean
The California non-profit is headed in another direction.
Bryan Mineo, the embattled head of the California non-profit One With the Ocean (OWO), is out at that organization.
OWO announced the change in a press release.
One With the Ocean (OWO) is proud to introduce Danielle Dattilio as its new President, taking the baton from founder Bryan Mineo. In 12 years, Bryan steered OWO from a humble band of three swimmers to a nationwide community with weekly workout sessions at multiple locations around the U.S. Since the beginning, the mission has remained the same: introducing people to the joys of ocean swimming, emphasizing friendship, water safety, and marine stewardship.
Bryan commented on the new appointment: "OWO is an inclusive water community that grew from a small weekly meetup group to a national organization with 20 chapters. I’m proud to have launched this movement and even prouder to pass the torch to Danielle. From day one at OWO, she was an active promoter, recruiter, and leader–she knows how to take us to the next level better than anyone else.”
An accomplished waterwoman, Danielle is a lifelong swimmer from Lexington, Kentucky, who was team captain for the DePauw University swim team. She first joined OWO in 2018 when training for an Ironman event, which she completed in May 2019. Hooked on ocean swimming, she swam the La Jolla Cove 10-mile relay solo, winning the female non-wetsuit division in 2021. Next was an ultramarathon swim across the width of Lake Tahoe (12 miles) in 2022 and countless open water races and adventure swims with friends.
I did a series of articles in 2022 about Mineo and OWO. I focused primarily on his exorbitant salary.
With the change in leadership, there is a change in philosophy. The new head, Danielle Dattilio, told me that the organization will be staffed with unpaid volunteers.
“Bryan got {a} job offer he couldn’t refuse and has moved on. At this time, we are an all-volunteer organization & excited for the future!” Danielle told me in an email.
There remain some unanswered questions from Bryan’s time as president. For instance, after my first article was released, Bryan’s attorney, Raj Matani, insisted I had misconstrued his salary- by posting his testimony in his deposition- and claimed his salary was much lower.
At the time Raj made this statement, the OWO tax returns were not posted publicly. OWO is a 501 (C)3, and as such, it is required to make its tax returns public.
That has since changed. The website guidestar.org has tax returns from 2020, 2021, and 2023 listed for OWO. According to the tax returns, Bryan only made $73,339 in 2021.
Be careful Bryan, the IRS got Al Capone for underreporting his income.
Bryan continued to take an exorbitant salary until the end. In 2023, OWO only received $56,005 in total contributions.
Half of that went to Bryan.
I’m glad Danielle said there will be no salaries going forward; that will be much easier to count.
Along with announcing a change in leadership, OWO also announced an eye-popping grant.
One key focus for OWO’s new President is its community outreach program, Play in the Waves (PITW). This program runs fun, immersive ocean swimming programs for young people from underserved communities across LA and San Diego counties. Launched in November 2020, the program covers everything from water safety to marine stewardship to overcome generational fear and foster a connection with the ocean and each other.
Since its inception, PITW has brought underserved youth from five partner charities to the ocean for immersive sessions.
The Outdoor Equity Grants Program (OEP) recently awarded the LA chapter a $532,000 grant. The body supports health and wellness through educational and recreational activities, service learning, career pathways, and leadership opportunities that strengthen connection with the natural world. In 2024, with this new support and funding, OWO plans to expand its LA services to include single-day swim and surf lessons and a multi-day camp
Danielle commented, “We’re honored to be selected to represent the state of California in furthering outdoor equity. This generous grant allows underprivileged youth to embrace swimming as a lifelong skill, experience the beauty of the ocean, and cultivate a conservation lifestyle to protect what we love!”
$532,000 for a group which managed to raise only $34,000 in grants all of last year. That caught my attention, so I asked the California Department of Parks and Recreation, which gave the grant, what was going on.
They told me they would need until next week to issue a statement, and I just couldn’t wait any longer to write the article. I will do a follow up post when I receive the statement.
Play in the Waves, the program from OWO which received the grant, is OWO’s program to teach kids in the inner city how to swim in the ocean.
A connection with the ocean can be one of life’s most rewarding relationships. Sadly, even here in Southern California, not everyone has the chance to experience open water regularly due to financial constraints, lack of transportation, even fear passed through the generations. Through our ‘Play in the Waves’ program, we foster a connection between underserved communities and the ocean.
Since 2020, we've run fun, immersive ocean programs for hundreds of underserved middle and high school-age kids. Our comprehensive entry-level courses introduce young people from all walks of life to the joys of ocean swimming. They cover everything from water safety to conservation skills, inspiring healthy lifestyles, boosting confidence, and sparking the desire to protect our marine environment for the future.
That’s nice; those kids should learn to swim. I just don’t think it requires a half million-dollar grant.
In fact, I’m certain of it.
Revolution Aquatics sometimes partners with OWO to teach kids in the inner city how to swim. They do it without any grant funds.
I’m starting to understand why California has such an enormous budget deficit. If they’re paying OWO $500,000 for something others will do for free, how much other taxpayer money is the state wasting?
One place we all know this $500,000 won’t go is into Danielle’s pocket. She has assured me her salary is zero, and she would never lie to me.
Enjoy Bryan’s deposition in which many of these same issues were discussed.