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What is your role on the Management Board?
I’m doing my best to fill the shoes of my predecessor, Kim Cole, to represent Delaware on the board.
What MARCO workgroups do you participate in?
So far, I’ve been focusing on Management Board business because I have colleagues with much more proficiency who are active in various workgroups.
What are your daily job duties?
I administer a few programs for Delaware including our coastal management program, federal consistency and state coastal zone program, and the state’s National Estuarine Research Reserve. My job is making sure our experts have what they need to do the science, community engagement, regulation, grant management, and all the little things that make our programs effective.
What are the most fun and the most challenging parts of your job?
Easy answer first – the most fun part of the job is going to the beach. I find that I am more effective at coastal and ocean management when I get out into the field once in a while, and beaches have been the focus of the majority of my career. A welcome challenge in my job has been learning about such a wide breadth of subjects that contribute to ocean resource management – from agricultural practices to fisheries technology to coastal zone policies and beyond.
Why did you get involved in ocean resource management?
I am an engineer by training, and spent the past 8 years working on water resources engineering programs, including beach nourishment and navigation dredging, for Delaware. In that role I collaborated with the coastal management team that I currently oversee, but I was very much focused on construction. Over time my interests evolved and I pursued opportunities to be part of policy and research discussions, eventually landing in my current role. The breadth of ocean resource management is exciting, and I am very grateful to work with brilliant people across my state as well as regional partners through MARCO and other organizations who share similar missions.
What is the most pressing ocean resource issue in your state?
I believe the most pressing ocean resource issue in Delaware mirrors terrestrial resource management challenges – balancing competition for finite resources in a finite space.
What is your hope for the future of ocean resource management?
I hope ocean resources continue to be managed by conscientious stewards with consideration of future generations.
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