Fish and Wildlife Biologist (GS-12/01)

November 2020-present

Ecological Services
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Supervisor: 

Fish and Wildlife Biologist (GS-11/04)

January 2017-present

Ecological Services
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Supervisor: Mary Root

​WFWO Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Liaison
PDuties:

• Identify, review, and conduct investigations on complex, multi-state and -agency water resource development project proposals as pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 661 of the FWCA
• Coordinate with Federal co-lead agencies to jointly prepare scopes of work and negotiate budget requests to fund potential FWCA investigations and reporting efforts
• In FY18, successfully negotiated approximately $2.23 million in Federal reimbursable funds through the FWCA to address potential impacts of project alternatives on fish and wildlife resources
• Write and distribute monthly FWCA updates to WFWO managers on the status of statewide FWCA activities to enhance cross-program and -division coordination

Statewide FWCA Coordinator
Duties: 

• Serve as a centralized resource for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff statewide to use to communicate about ongoing FWCA projects and future opportunities
• Write and distribute monthly FWCA updates to WFWO managers on the status of statewide FWCA activities to enhance cross-program and -division coordination
• In FY18, coordinated with USFWS regional leaders and the National Marine Fisheries Service to co-write and review the FWCA Regional Coordination Process, which provides detail for joint implementation of the FWCA in Idaho, Oregon, the Pacific Islands, and Washington

Consultation Writer
Duties:

• Coordinated with Washington Fish and Wildlife Office managers across three field offices to provide technical assistance for, independently research, write, and review Biological Opinions to address effects of proposed activities on federally listed species and critical habitat

• Independently researched and helped write sections for, and provided a full editorial review of, the Biological Opinion on the Columbia River System Operations and Maintenance of 14 Federal Dams and Reservoirs, which covered anticipated effects of proposed activities federally listed species and critical habitat
• Drafted concurrence letters and prepared correspondence for signature of WFWO managers 

Lead Author of the CRSO (Columbia River System Operations) FWCA formal 2(b) Report
Duties: 

• Wrote objective, scientifically-sound written draft and final CRSO FWCA Reports, which analyzed impacts of five project alternatives to primarily non-ESA-listed fish and wildlife resources in the Columbia River basin
• Served as liaison between USFWS and federal co-lead agencies (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Bureau of Reclamation) to ensure a consistent and organized approach to compiling and formatting draft and final CRSO FWCA Reports
• Led the planning for, and execution of, research investigations and data collection on ecological processes, landscapes, and fish, wildlife, and plant species to inform individual and team reporting efforts
• Conceptualized and designed exercises for technical experts to gather and synthesize data for reporting purposes
• Created multi-day agendas and designed facilitation exercises for five multi-agency workshops with participation by diverse stakeholders (n=111) from federal, state, academic, tribal, and private groups
• Compiled and refined viable conservation recommendations and mitigation strategies, suggested by technical experts, diverse stakeholders, co-lead agencies, and cooperation agencies, for evaluation in response to potential impacts of proposed activities

USFWS Representative, Puget Sound Federal Task Force and Salmon Recovery Council
Duties: 

• Communicated Service priorities for aquatic species of concern and federal trust responsibilities to Puget Sound federally-recognized tribal governments in high-level, policy discussions with Federal, state, tribal, and private groups 

 
Co-Chair of the WFWO Internal Communications Committee
Duties: 

• Led the development and dissemination of an anonymous survey to obtain data on communication styles and barriers to effective communication among staff and managers at the field office level
• Led the analysis of survey responses and coordinated with WFWO to implement recommendations offered in the survey

William W. Taylor and Henry A. Regier Great Lakes Fisheries Fellow and Boone and Crockett Club Fellow, Ph.D. Candidate

June 2015-present

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University

Award Description: A doctoral fellowship from MSU and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission that is awarded to a graduate student performing research related to Great Lakes fisheries ecology, governance, or management. Award recipients demonstrate a dedication to understanding factors affecting the sustainability of Great Lakes fisheries ecosystems along with excellent academic credentials, evidence of leadership, ability to communicate to the public as well as professional communities, and the ability to solve problems creatively.

​Duties:

• Design and lead the implementation of data collection efforts with regional advisory law enforcement agencies to better understand their efficacy in managing multi-jurisdictional fisheries
• Co-designed and co-facilitated a strategic review of the vision of the binational Great Lakes Fishery Commission in an effort to best prepare for complex future challenges of, and exciting opportunities for, fisheries management
• Co-authored and reviewed multiple publications in various book and special issue journal endeavors
• Led and participated in monthly, cross-disciplinary discussion and research-planning sessions with classmates to share perspectives and applications of conservation criminology 

Presidential Liaison, Professional Member

August 2014-present

Boone and Crockett Club
Tim Brady, Club President (2019-2020)
Morrie Stevens, Club President (2015-2016)
Bill Demmer, Club President (2013-2014)

​Duties:

• Assist current and past Club Presidents in coordinating authors and conceptualizing and writing articles for the Club’s official publication, Fair Chase Magazine
• Serve on various committees including the Conservation Education and Conservation Policy Committees
• Attend and participate in the Club’s Annual Meeting (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018)

Future Academic Scholars in Teaching (FAST) Fellow

April 2016-May 2017

The Graduate School
Michigan State University
Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL)

Mentor: Rique Campa, III, Ph.D.

Award Description​: An award sponsored by the Michigan State University Graduate School and CIRTL that provides opportunities for a diverse group of graduate students to have mentored teaching experiences and to gain familiarity with materials on teaching and assessment techniques.

Duties​:

• Nominated and selected to design, develop, implement, and assess a TAR (Teaching-As-Research) project with a mentor in an introductory STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) a undergraduate course (e.g., Fundamentals of Fisheries and Wildlife Ecology and Management)

​Janice Lee Fenske Excellence in Fisheries Management Fellow

September 2014-February 2016

Michigan State University
Great Lakes Fishery Commission

University Mentor: William Taylor, Ph.D.
Agency Mentor: Bob Lambe

Duties:

• Nominated and selected to independently develop a short-term research project that resulted in the identification of challenges of, and opportunities for, effective law enforcement in nationwide, multi-jurisdictional fisheries management
• Conceptualized and executed a day-long symposium at an American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting with law enforcement professionals from Federal, state, provincial, tribal, and local entities to discuss their  respective roles in fisheries sustainability
• Created and maintained social media accounts (e.g., blog, Facebook group, Facebook page) and a social media guide to assist other fellows in documenting their own research experiences

Blog: MSU Fenske Fellows

Graduate Research Assistant, Ph.D. Student

August 2013-May 2015

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University

Award Description: A doctoral assistantship from MSU.

Duties:

• Co-organized and co-facilitated the execution of professional meeting and conferences, including the Global Conference on Inland Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy
• Led the establishment of an endowment agreement at MSU to recruit passionate and capable graduate students interested in studying Great Lakes fisheries and aquatic ecosystems
• Served as the representative of the graduate student body on the Graduate Student Organization Leadership Board at monthly faculty meetings 

Graduate Research Assistant, M.S. Student

September 2011-August 2013

School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
University of Washington

Duties:

• Served as the representative of the graduate student body at monthly faculty meetings
• Served as the student representative on various search committees for new faculty members

Bradford E. Brown Scholar

May-August 2011

Atlantic Salmon Ecosystems Research Team
New England/Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Science Center
​National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Mentor: John Kocik, Ph.D.

Duties:

• Assisted in the surgical tagging, tracking and monitoring, and collection of endangered Atlantic salmon smolts in the Penobscot River Estuary
• Participated in the Penobscot Estuarine Ecosystem Survey and collected, enumerated, and identified species in first community-wide assessment of the Penobscot River Estuary's spatial and temporal variability in fish assemblages with a particular emphasis on diadromous species
• Developed and implemented a short-term research project on migratory movements and reversals of wild and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts emigrating through the Penobscot River Estuary 
• Invited to present research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of a symposium for student researchers studying fisheries resource management
• Created and maintained a social media account (e.g., blog) to document research experiences

Blog: Fishing in Orono

​Undergraduate Research Assistant

August 2010-January 2011

Aquatic Landscape Ecology Lab
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University

Mentor: Dana Infante, Ph.D.

Duties:

• Collaborated with other lab members in characterizing an inventory of dams and their statuses in the United States as part of the National Inventory of Dam survey

Fisheries Research Technician

May-August 2010

Aquatic Landscape Ecology Lab
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University

Mentor: Darren Thornbrugh, Ph.D.

Duties:

• Conducted field research including fish sampling (e.g., barge/backpack electroshocking, fish handling, fish identification, and data analysis) in freshwater systems to better understand fish assemblages in various areas of the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in Michigan

National Earthwatch Science Scholar

June 2006

Earthwatch Institute

Mentor: Ralph Riley, Ph.D.

Duties:

• One of eighty high school students selected nationwide to join a six-person field research team to evaluate Pacific salmon habitat restoration efforts ("Salmon of the Pacific Northwest"​)
• Collected and complied geomorphologic measurements in riparian forest zones including stream gradients, stream widths, stream substrate types, pool depths, and various tree measurements
• Took inventory on streams and riparian zone habitats that had been altered to enhance salmonid fitness and survivability