About

Work Experience

• Science Support Coordinator, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

  May, 2022 - Present

  Provides leadership for the Science Support Group - supervising a small team designed to provide assistance to field biologists across the state. Current focus is on volunteer and data management, focused on the care and feeding of our thousands of dedicated volunteers. The team: -Provides context for conservation projects, as well as clear and simplified instructions for participation through outreach materials and events. -Provides support to biologists for report and publication writing (e.g., Wildlife Action Plan, Conservation Plans, Grant reports, peer-reviewed publications). -Provides assistance with fieldwork coordination, data management, and project management as needs and capacity allow.

  • Follow radical candor approach to providing productive feedback with an emphasis on developing empowering relationships while incentivizing creative, innovative appraoches

  • Manage team's $600,000 annual budget and assist with Division annual budget management

  • Guide focus of biologists and outreach coordinators to engage the public in wildlife appreciation and data collection

  • Support annual grant applications for Wildlife Diversity activities under the US Fish and Wildlife Service WSFR program, revewing proposed projects and evaluating the most appropriate funding source based on allowable activities.

• Bird Conservation Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2010 - Present

  Provide leadership in state, regional, and national bird conservation initiatives designed to engage the public in bird conservation, provide venues for researcher coordination and collaboration, and assist in multi-organization conservation efforts at state, national, and international scopes. Provide technical guidance on issues relevant to North Carolina. Adaptive leadership development techniques; grant writing and coordination; bird identification; web technologies; data analysis; data management; GIS; statistial analysis and study design.

  • Application for, administration of annual federal grants and other ad hoc grant opportunities.

  • Consult on conservation policy development (state species listing, NEPA documentation, Double-crested Cormorant rule, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, strategic planning).

  • Led review of bird species for the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan Species of Greatest Conservation Need status using modified guidelines from Salafsky et al 2008.

  • Reviewed species for state listing, applying criteria for measures of resiliency, representation, and redundancy through literature review and spatial and tabular data analysis.

  • Serve on the 2021 Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant review team.

  • Inaugural member and lead, NC Wildlife Resources Commission Bird Conservation Leadership Team.

• NC Partners in Flight Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2010 - Present

  Coordinate meetings of bird researchers in North Carolina and beyond to encourage communication/collaboration/cooperation.

  • Member of leadership team to create the Partners in Flight Eastern Working Group.

  • Member, US North American Bird Conservation Initiative Human Dimensions subcommittee, Social Science Coordinator advisory team; Chair, Communications subcommittee. Assist development of bird conservation messaging including Field Guide to Developing Partnerships and initiatives surrounding the Bringing Birds Back campaign.

  • Vice Co-Chair, Bird- and Fish- Related Conflict Working Group, Member, Bird Conservation Committee, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Played key role in compiling cohesive feedback from a diverse group of bird and fisheries biologists from across the nation to provide to USFWS staff with actionable distillation of complex conservation issues while developing recent rule regarding take of Double-crested Cormorants (50 CFR §21.28).

  • Participate in Atlantic Flyway Nongame Technical Section meetings.

  • Developed web resource linking North Carolina birds, associated habitats, projects, organizations, and conservation priorities (wiki.ncpif.org) (ongoing).

  • Served on Partners in Flight website management team.

  • Use and development of technologies enabling conservation initiatives: interactive web tools, mapping, and data collection.

• NC Birding Trail Coordinator, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2010 - Jan, 202110 years 10 months

  Provide leadership for the six-agency cooperative effort designed to promote birding, bird education, and patronage of local businesses.

  • Provided direction and supervise social media & outreach – designed and developed website. Informed public through entertaining and innovative presentations, newsletter, and social media. Over 1,000 newsletter sign-ups within a month.

  • Developed engaging web experience to highlight Trail site locations using web technologies – increased website visitation 79%.

  • Supervised NCBT assistant managing social media and public engagement.

• Piedmont Bird Researcher, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2010 - Jan, 202110 years 10 months

  Assisted in design, collection, and data analysis of conservation projects.

  • Co-administered grants for internal and external projects.

  • Co-PI for Bachman’s sparrow project – reviewed quadrangles, placed point counts, and surveyed Upper Piedmont. Designed and managed database of data from 1,755 point counts.

  • Co-PI for Riparian Breeding Bird Project – Surveyed streams and rivers via canoe for 13 focal species. Mapped and analyzed resulting data across the NC Piedmont and Coastal Plain, managing data from 86 routes covering 632 miles.

• Leadership Program Coordinator, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2017 - Aug, 20192 years 5 months

  Coordinated the Wildlife Leadership Development Program, focused on teaching adaptive leadership concepts and cultivating experiences to enhance ability to identify & address pervasive, long-term, and wicked challenges.

  • Modeled after the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI)

  • Fellow: NCLI Cohort 10

  • Peer Coach: NCLI Cohort 17

• Lead GIS Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2005 - Feb, 20105 years

  Lead the GIS Team for the Division of Wildlife Management and support the use of GIS technology within the Division. Projects include: update 128-page book of public Game Land maps annually, model bobwhite quail habitat across the state, guide development of a comprehensive database supporting multiple wildlife diversity projects, guide development of a database to track project accomplishments (in reference to the State Wildlife Action Plan), and provide GIS and GPS support to field personnel. Experience: ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 (ArcInfo), ArcGIS Server 9.3.1, ArcSDE, Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, ArcPad 7.1, MS Access, SQL Server, XML, Python, and Visual Basic.

• Faunal Diversity Research Biologist (Data Manager), N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

  Feb, 2004 - Feb, 20051 year

  Managed, developed, and enhanced 14 databases for the statewide Faunal Diversity and Non-Game Aquatics programs. Cataloged and developed USGS-compliant metadata (biological data standard) for tabular and spatial datasets. Created data entry forms and database structure for PDA/GPS units for field data collection. Experience: ArcGIS 9.0 (including development of geodatabases), ArcPad 6.0.3, MS Access, SQL Server, Biotics 4, XML, and Visual Basic.

• Computer Software Trainer, Texas A&M University

  Nov, 1998 - Nov, 19991 year

  Taught USDA food safety inspectors how to care for and use computers through weekly 4-day training courses. Answered questions from inspectors in the field through a phone-in help line. Diagnosed problems, repaired computers, and installed software.

• Information System Specialist, Travelers

  Dec, 1995 - Nov, 19971 year 11 months

  Maintained and created databases to track business applications using MS Access, Lotus Notes and Visual Basic. Collected and summarized progress reports from all divisions of the company to monitor conversion of computer systems to year 2000 compliance. Designed and created relational database structure, built forms to standardize data entry, wrote macros in Visual Basic Code to analyze and compile data, and formatted reports for quick summarization and presentation of data. Experience: Lotus Notes, MS Access, and Visual Basic.

• Research Assistant, Cetacean Research Unit

  Aug, 1994 - Dec, 19951 year 4 months

  Collected and entered data, developed photos, and used photos for identification of cetacean species. Assisted in the biopsy and necropsy of humpback whales. Research project resulted in publication in Marine Mammal Science.

• Staff Scientist, Yankee Fleet Whale Watch

  Apr, 1995 - Oct, 19956 months

  Presented information about avian and mammalian marine species seen during 4-hour whale watching excursions for up to 300 passengers per day. Collected behavior and location data on cetaceans and photographed finback and humpback whales for identification. Organized and entered data collected during trips.

• Research Assistant, Private Researcher - Helen Snyder

  Jun, 1994 - Aug, 19942 months

  Surveyed southeastern Arizona for northern goshawk nesting territories. Banded and collected blood samples from Cooper's hawk and goshawk adults and chicks.

• Wildlife Technician, U.S. Forest Service

  Jun, 1993 - Aug, 19932 months

  Collected data to determine three-toed woodpecker, flammulated owl, and northern goshawk population estimates. Identified numerous bird species by sight and sound. Characterized habitat requirements of survey species.

Projects Experience

• NC Bird Atlas

  Dec, 2019 - Present

  Co-lead the 5-year North Carolina Bird Atlas project. Successfully lobbied support for the project among partners, leadership, and in-house biologists. Provide leadership balancing enhancing public awareness of the state wildlife agency while collecting valuable scientific data.

  • Provide leadership balancing enhancing public awareness of the state wildlife agency while collecting valuable scientific data.

  • Leading effort to streamline in-kind collection for WSFR and non-WSFR conservation projects. Devised innovative method to collect in-kind, designed to match WSFR requirements - resulting in the collection of over 60,000 hours of volunteer time over 2.5 years valued at $1.3 million.

  • Manage and develop products for analyzing and visualizing over 2.5 million observation records.

  • Advise the NC Bird Atlas Outreach Team.

• North Carolina Species Assessment Tool Review

  Nov, 2023 - Present

  Lead a team to review the state species listing process. Working across disciplines to develop tools, governance, and documentation to improve efficiency and consistency of the species listing process.

• Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Academy

  May, 2023 - Present

  Serve on leadership team of the Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Working Group of AFWA.

  • Lead host for the 2024 Academy in Duck, NC, a week-long immersive experience designed to provide wildlife professionals with tools to engage the public in wildlife appreciation and conservation through nature-based tourism.

  • Serve on organizing team for the 2026 Academy in Seattle, WA.

• US NABCI Field Guide to Developing Partnerships

  Jan, 2021 - Jan, 20211 day

  Contribute to development and production of this 'Field Guide' produced by the United States North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

  • Look beyond discipline (e.g., birds) to develop new and innovative partnerships.

  • Relationships and trust-building help establish a foundation of mutual value.

• US NABCI DEIJ Community of Practice

  Aug, 2021 - Aug, 20232 years

  Contribute to conversations surrounding equity and justice in the bird conservation community.

  • Publicize and participate in webinars focusing on equity and the decolonization of conservation efforts.

• Everyone is a Birder Campaign

  Dec, 2019 - Dec, 20201 year

  Develop resources and outreach designed to break barriers to participation in birding.

• NC Conservation Connections

  Dec, 2015 - Present

  Mapping the bird conservation community. Wiki designed to highlight relationships between bird species, habitats, research projects, conservation plans, and organizations. The goal is to better understand the breadth of and connections between conservation initiatives in North Carolina and beyond.

• Modeling data and information needs for avian conservation using Neo4j.

  Jun, 2020 - Jun, 20211 year

  Earth Science Information Partners Lab (https://www.linkedin.com/company/earth-science-information-partners/) grant to experiment with graph database (Neo4j) structure for storing, displaying, and discovery of conservation connections.

  • Participants representing NASA, North Carolina, and USGS

• NC Birding Trail

  Dec, 2010 - Present

  Encouraging all flavors of bird appreciation - from the casual to the avid. Designed and maintain the custom mobile-first Wordpress theme and associated plugin to provide quick and easy access to NC Birding Trail site information. Website collects and tracks site usage to evaluate trail-interested visitation to birding sites and businesses.Supervise promotional and social media presence, cooperatively work to develop original content.

• NC Game Lands Map Book

  Dec, 2005 - Dec, 20105 years

  Annually updated Game Lands Map Book GIS. Designed GIS for storing cartographic files in a distributed ArcGIS Server instance. Trained regional land managers on data entry and management.

  Led GIS team to convert annual printed Game Lands Map Book to an online interactive interface.

• Biological Observation Database

  Dec, 2004 - Dec, 20051 year

  Proposed and consulted on re-designing backend database structure for storing bird observation data collected by field biologists. Prioritized usage of standards (e.g., ITIS species names and Taxonomic IDs).

Skills

Education

Volunteer Work

Publications

Interests