Experience

Galveston Bay Foundation

• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Habitat Restoration Manager

  • Mar 2015 - Present

  Responsibilities:- Manage habitat restoration projects with a focus on estuarine ecosystems such as oyster reefs, intertidal marsh, rookery islands, and eroding shorelines- Oversee design planning, permitting, contracting, procurement, grant administration, and budget management associated with each project as well as Advisory Team coordination- Monitor restoration efforts with a Trimble Geo7X GPS and DJI Mavic2 Drone- Manage the Oyster Shell Recycling Program and two staff members- Manage the Living Shorelines Program including consultation with landowners, community outreach, and coordination with the TX General Land Office (GLO)- Serve as the Conservation Team facilitator- Prepare georeferenced in maps in ArcMap 10.5.1 for Conservation Team projects- Manage data collected by the Conservation Team for use in outreach and grant reporting - Prepare grant proposals and manage federal, state, and private grant fundsAccomplishments:- Orchestrated the construction of 1,800 feet of oyster shell breakwaters, 780 feet of rip-rap breakwater, and the placement of 200 tons of oyster shell to create oyster habitat- Assisted with the development of a GIS spatial model and map viewer: The Galveston Bay Shoreline Protection Model- Developed training manuals for ArcMap 10.5.1 and Trimble Geo7X GPS to facilitate training internally and for the TX Conservation Corps Crew members- Streamlined shell recycling operations, created a strategic development plan for the Oyster Shell Recycling Program, and developed a sun curing protocol for quarantining recycled oyster shell- Reinstated the Galveston Bay Oyster Workgroup in 2019 via the Galveston Bay Estuary Program- Delivered presentations at the 2016 International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, the 2016, 2018, and 2020 Restore America’s Estuaries Summit, and the 2020 State of the Bay Symposium- Secured over 15 grants, totaling $1.8 million, and managed over 30 grants, totaling $2.8 million



Berg-Oliver Associates, Inc.

• Project Manager/Wetland Ecologist

  • Oct 2012 - Mar 2015

  Responsibilities:- Conducted wetland delineations in coastal and inland habitats- Collected field data using a Trimble Geo-XT handheld GPS unit- Prepared mitigation plans for freshwater and saltwater wetlands as well as seagrass habitat - Consulted with clients on design plans for commercial and residential developments as well as their permitting options associated with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), TX GLO, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and TX Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)- Prepared permit applications for residential and commercial developments, both Nationwide and Individual Permits, and coordinated permit approval with the USACE- Produced detailed maps and plan drawings in ArcMap 10 and AutoCAD Map 3D, including wetland delineation maps, site development plans, and mitigation plansAccomplishments:- Conducted over 60 wetland delineations primarily in southeast Texas- Coordinated permit approval for over 20 USACE Nationwide Permits (NWP 7, 13, 14, 29, 39)-Prepared a training guide for ArcMap 10 and led staff in training sessions



D.B. Ecological Services

• Sea Turtle Survey Assistant

  • Jun 2012 - Sep 2012

  Responsibilities:- Documented sea turtle nests, false crawls, and hatchlings on Singer Island to help determine the impact of seawall construction and commercial development- Recorded location of nests and crawls via Trimble Geo-XT GPS unit and beach orientation data- Excavated nests post-hatch to determine hatch success rates



Pura Vida Divers

• United States
• Recreational Facilities
• 1 - 100 Employee

• PR Representative and Staff Biologist

  • May 2012 - Sep 2012

  Responsibilities:- Provided knowledge of marine flora and fauna as well as ocean processes to customers (divers)- Documented and photographed SCUBA diving activities and classes on social media- Maintained and improved the company’s social media presence via blogging and FacebookAccomplishments:- Increased Pura Vida Divers’ customer reach by approximately 2,000 users in 3 months - Secured a partnership with the Florida Hawksbill Project to provide sea turtle education to customers and additional support for their research efforts



Florida Atlantic University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Manatee Observer

  • Nov 2011 - Apr 2012

  Responsibilities:- Observed and analyzed manatee activity in the Western Turning Basin at FAU Harbor Branch to assess annual and monthly trends in manatee behavior- Conducted photograph identification of individual manatees for database creation- Oversaw and maintained manatee sighting database to provide real-time access to field data- Trained new volunteers in photo analysis and data entry Accomplishments:- Refined data collection methods to expedite observations and create consistency in reports



Florida Oceanographic Society

• Aquarium Intern

  • Sep 2011 - Apr 2012

  Responsibilities:- Ensured aquariums were in top condition via attention to detail in cleaning/maintenance of the exhibits and care of marine life- Prepared and distributed 30 pounds of food per day for the Game Fish Lagoon inhabitants as well as stingray and aquarium exhibit food (shrimp, squid, silverside, smelt, capelin)- Assisted with the care, training, feeding, and monthly assessment of 4 non-releasable sea turtles (3 Greens and 1 Loggerhead)- Transplanted seagrass into a 90-gallon aquarium to improve seahorse habitatAccomplishments:- Featured as the “Volunteer Spotlight” in the January 2012 Newsletter



Build a Field Trip

• Field Trip Instructor

  • Oct 2009 - May 2010

  Responsibilities:- Guided students (elementary through middle school) on environmental field trips in State Parks throughout South and Central Florida- Led hikes, canoeing and kayaking trips, fossil hunting, and snorkeling trips- Educated students on the ecosystems of South Florida, particularly mangrove forests, the Everglades, seagrass beds, and coral reefsAccomplishments:- Documented and updated 7 scientific lectures in Microsoft Word



US Army Corps of Engineers

• United States
• Armed Forces
• 700 & Above Employee

• Regulatory Intern, Compliance Section

  • Oct 2007 - May 2009

  Responsibilities:- Verified wetland delineations, conducted compliance inspections, and pursued violations per Section 404 of the Clean Water Act- Identified wetlands in the field based on hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and hydrology- Performed field jurisdictional determinations as well as desktop determinations via ArcMap 9 and collaboration with environmental consultants - Coordinated with the EPA and relevant state agenciesAccomplishments:- Compiled an entry-level manual for new employees