Mark your calendar: October 24, 2025. The Coastal Society (TCS) is proud to host a forum on Innovative Solutions to Priority Issues in Coastal North Carolinaat the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). This in-person event promises a full day of insight, dialogue, and collaboration as we tackle the complex issues facing our coast.
Building on the tremendous success of the 2023 UNCW Forum, TCS drew inspiration from the many enthusiastic attendees to again deliver an opportunity to explore additional pressing issues and advance real-world solutions to those previously identified. This year, we’re taking the next step to focus not only on identifying challenges but also on developing solutions.
Whether you’re a policymaker, scientist, student, community leader, or simply passionate about the future of our coastlines, this event is for you.
What to Expect
This dynamic forum will bring together experts and thought leaders from Federal, state, and local government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. Through engaging plenary sessions and in-depth discussions, we’ll explore:
Marine Debris and Plastics Understand the scale of plastic pollution and hear about community-based and policy-driven solutions.
Innovative Shoreline Resilience Methods Discover cutting-edge approaches to living shorelines, nature-based solutions, and coastal infrastructure adaptation.
Economic Impacts and Tools for Flood Resilience Learn how coastal economies are adapting to flood risks and the financial tools communities are using to build resilience.
Networking & Collaboration
Beyond the presentations, this forum is a unique opportunity to connect with professionals, students, and experts across disciplines. We’ll provide ample time for networking, Q&A sessions, and collaborative dialogue. Bring your questions, ideas, and curiosity!
Who Should Attend?
All are welcome, from seasoned professionals to students just entering the field.
The Coastal Society hosted two Professional Spotlight sessions in 2023, featuring seasoned TCS professionals who discuss their career paths and provide career tips to students and young professional members. The Professional Spotlight sessions are TCS member-focused events that are part of the Coastal Connections web conferencing series. The video sessions were recorded via Zoom; TCS members may request a link to these recordings by sending an email here. To receive invitations for future Professional Spotlight sessions, please be sure your TCS membership is current. Join or renew at Membership – The Coastal Society. You can also read more about the Coastal Connections series on the TCS website.
Larry Cahoon (Ph.D.), Professor of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and current Director on the TCS Board, was our guest speaker during the session on April 11, 2023. Dr. Cahoon shared tales about his educational background at Washington and Lee University and Duke University, and approximately 40 years of experience as a professor, with research focusing on biological oceanography (which he calls a “contact sport”) and coastal ecosystem dynamics.
Larry also discussed his experiences in public policy in North Carolina, including an appointment by the North Carolina Governor beginning in 1985 to serve on the NC Marine Science Council. Larry also served as chair of the NC Ocean Resources Task Force from 1993 to 1996 and later was involved in the NC Legislative Study Subcommittee on Offshore Energy. He gained further notoriety for his role in identifying the extent of per/polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminants in the Cape Fear River.
Larry highlighted his three key elements of teaching: 1) know your stuff, 2) meet students where they are, and 3) show them you care that they learn. He also advised that preparation is the key to academic and professional success in whatever you do, including meetings, publishing your work, developing proposals, and testifying in court. Larry emphasized the importance of honesty and maintaining personal and professional integrity when encountering potential deception, manipulation, or abuse.
Discussion following Dr. Cahoon’s presentation focused on topics including navigating an academic career path, student mentorship from academic faculty, science communication tips, and trends in academic teaching methods over the past several decades.
Jill Meyer, Senior Vice President at Lynker Technologies, was our guest speaker during the session on July 6, 2023. She described her path to becoming a consultant following an undergraduate focus on biological research (including 2 years in Costa Rica) and a shift to science and policy management graduate program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Following a Knauss SeaGrant Fellowship supporting several federal projects (with a focus on remote sensing), Ms. Meyer joined the consulting world as a Project Manager with a former company. She has since ascended to her current role at Lynker, wherein she manages multi-million-dollar government contracts.
Jill discussed pros and cons of serving as a government contractor, which depends partly on the employee focus of a given contracting group. For example, there is a broad range of work opportunities, but contract employees may be perceived as having less stature than full-time government employees. Jill also discussed skills for success as a manager, including a strong multi-disciplinary technical background, solid organizational and communication skills, and an adaptable leadership style with an ability to multi-task and motivate staff. Jill offered some takeaways for developing a professional career path, such as remaining curious and open to opportunities, letting go of “perfection”, developing a professional support network, continuously honing communications skills, maintaining a focus on what motivates you, and recognizing when a position/project is not a good fit.
Following her presentation, Jill responded to questions by noting that she stays plugged into scientific developments through proposal writing. She encouraged participants interested in a certain government organization to ask them who they contract with and look for postings on forums like Indeed. Jill again emphasized the value of improving communication skills through books like “22 Talk Shifts” and apps that help refine your language.
We thank both our guest speakers for taking time to share their insights!
From the majestic depths of the ocean to its vibrant coastlines, our planet’s marine ecosystems have long captivated the human imagination. Recognizing the profound significance of these underwater wonders, national marine sanctuaries (NMS) emerged as beacons of conservation and exploration. Serving as underwater havens for biodiversity and cultural heritage, these sanctuaries embody our commitment to safeguarding the natural treasures that lie beneath the waves. As our world faces mounting environmental challenges, the importance of these sanctuaries has never been more evident. This vital conservation measure was the topic of the fifteenth session of The Coastal Society Coastal Connections Web Series, held on Thursday, February 23rd through Zoom.
This session saw twenty-one attendees that included both current TCS members and non-TCS members. Steve MacLeod, TCS Past President, kicked off the session by providing a brief overview of TCS and the Coastal Connections web series. The session was then moderated by Ellen Brody, Regional Coordinator of the Eastern Region of the NOAA NMS Program. Ellen provided a brief history of the NMS. NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. In 1972, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act was passed, which also coincided with the Coastal Zone Management Act. In 1974, the first NMS was designated after the discovery of the USS Monitor. Ellen then touched on the current state of the NMS Program and how it works. As she explained, the current NMS landscape covers more than 620,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters (map of current sanctuaries available here). NMSs support resource protection, research and monitoring, education and outreach, and community engagement. Sanctuary Advisory Councils are established for each NMS that bring together a variety of interests and provide advice to the NMS program.
This session’s panelists included Paul Michel, Regional Policy Coordinator for the West Coast Region, and LeAnn Hogan, Regional Operations Coordinator for the Eastern Region, who shared examples of how NMS make a difference. On the west coast, the NMS program supported research and the establishment of the West Coast Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) Program to reduce the number of whale ship strikes. Over 18 global shopping companies and 559 ships have participated, resulting in a 50% reduction in ship strikes on whales and the additional benefit of greenhouse gas reduction. In the Florida Keys, the Damage Response and Restoration Program of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries supports addressing impacts from vessel groundings, including vessel and debris removal and seagrass and coral reef restoration.
Another key discussion topic was the evolution of the NMS system over time. In 2014, a new approach to NMS system expansion was established that focused on a community-based process. Communities submit a nomination to NOAA that is then reviewed and, if accepted, placed on the NMS inventory. In addition to recent sanctuary expansions (Flower Garden Banks) and new NMS designations (Mallows Bay-Potomac River and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast), the panelists discussed the following proposed NMS:
Chumash Heritage (lead by Paul Michel) – Located in the Pacific Ocean off the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County coastlines, this area is ecologically rich and dynamic with unique geomorphological features and historic shipwrecks. Proponents of the sanctuary, the Sierra Club, Surf Rider, and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, highlighted a myriad of issues the NMS could address and the importance of recognizing Indigenous heritage and cultures. The NMS program is working to involve Tribal Bands in collaborative management approaches.
Hudson Canyon (lead by LeAnn Hogan) – Located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York and New Jersey, this ecological hot spot serves an important economic role for commercial and recreational fisheries. The Wildlife Conservation Society submitted the nomination. Given the large number of stakeholders engaged in this area of the ocean, the Hudson Canyon process has included a collaborative public scoping process to identify the potential NMS boundaries.
Eastern Lake Ontario (lead by Ellen Brody) – The nomination was submitted by four counties and the City of Oswego with support from the State of New York and focused on maritime heritage resources. As part of this designation process, NMS is working with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to re-establish their connection with their ancestral lands. The notice of proposed rulemaking was recently published, and it is anticipated the designation will be finalized in a year.
Following these presentations, the group discussed topics that included regulations and enforcement within NMS, the selection of NMS and pace/prioritization for going through the designation process, and coordination with fisheries management and offshore wind development.
Overall, this session facilitated a fruitful conversation about a conservation measure of ever-increasing importance. NMS stand as vital guardians of our marine heritage, inspiring us to protect and preserve these fragile ecosystems for future generations. We learned a lot from our panelists, and the results from our post-event survey revealed that our participants did too—100% of respondents found the event to be extremely informative! With another successful TCS Coastal Connections in the books, we look forward to seeing you at the next one.
As part of The Coastal Society’s Coastal Connections web
conferencing series, the Coastal Society (TCS) hosted two Professional Spotlight sessions featuring TCS members in 2022.
During these Spotlight sessions, TCS
members have the opportunity to learn about the career path of a featured TCS
member, discuss career tips, and connect with other TCS members at various
stages of their careers. To receive invitations for future Professional Spotlight sessions, please be sure your TCS membership
is current. Join or renew at Membership
– The Coastal Society. You can
also read more about the Coastal
Connections series on the TCS website.
Our 2022 featured speakers included Amy Whitt, founder
and CEO of Azura Consulting, LLC, and Don Davis, Director of Oral History for
the Louisiana Sea Grant Program. Highlights from each of the sessions are
shared below. To access recordings of these sessions, TCS members may request a
link by sending an email to admin@thecoastalsociety.org.
Amy Whitt, founder and CEO of Azura
Consulting, LLC, was our guest speaker during the session held on May 17, 2022.
Amy provided an overview of her career path to starting and growing an
environmental consulting firm that provides services focused on the research,
conservation, and management of protected species, populations, and habitats,
outreach and education, and professional communication. The Azura team has
worked with federal and state agencies, private organizations, non-profit
organizations, academic institutions, and the offshore energy industry. Amy
also shared her experiences working in marine mammal and sea turtle research,
coastal environmental management, conservation and education, and ocean policy.
Amy offered several tips for
pursuing a career path in environmental consulting, including the importance of
writing skills, maintaining a personal resume database of your skills,
training, and certifications, building your professional network, and volunteering
time to give back to the scientific community. View Amy’s presentation HERE.
Don Davis (PhD), Director of Oral History for the
Louisiana Sea Grant program, was our guest speaker during the session held on
October 6, 2022. Don recently co-authored a book, Asian-Cajun Fusion: Shrimp from the Bay to the Bayou, with Carl
Brasseaux. This book traces the origins of the shrimp drying industry in the
United States back to 1870, when Chinese immigrants founded the industry in New
Orleans. The coastal Lousiana region continues to export dried shrimp to Asian
markets domestically and internationally. Don noted that “the [coastal
Louisiana] landscape is and has always been a working coast. The coast is not a
place but a process; it only becomes a place when people live there.”
Don offered several pieces of advice based on his experiences, including how critical it is to understand the human dimension and engage with people before making decisions. Don also emphasized the importance of following your passion, learning something new everyday, and working hard while maintaining a work-life balance. View Don’s presentation HERE.
We thank all our guest speakers for
taking time to share their stories! Stay tuned for more TCS Coastal Connections
sessions coming in 2023!
Coastal communities are experiencing more
intense storms under a changing climate—this past Atlantic hurricane season was
the third most active in recorded history, hosting one of the five costliest
hurricanes to impact the US. Future storm impacts are predicted to be
exacerbated by continued sea-level rise and population growth along coastlines,
combined with climatic changes breeding favorable environmental conditions for
the development of more frequent intense storms. Building coastal community
resilience is thus continually placed on local, state, and federal agendas, and
it served as the subject of the Coastal Society’s (TCS) Coastal Connections
session, held on October, 21, 2021. A recording of the session is availablehere.
TCS President, Steve
MacLeod, initiated the session by familiarizing attendants with TCS and the
Coastal Connections web series and then inviting attending Board Members to
introduce themselves. The session was moderated by Kim Grubert, Project
Consultant on the Sustainability, Energy, and Climate Change team at WSP USA,
Inc. and TCS Chapters Committee Co-Chair. Presentations were then given by the
following panelists: Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at
the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City, NC, and
Jill Gambill, Coastal Resilience Specialist at University of Georgia Marine
Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
Erik Heden provided an overview of the
National Weather Service’s (NWS) extensive community outreach initiatives. NWS
organizes hurricane outlook talks with core partners that provide information
on potential hurricane impacts. During Hurricane Preparedness Week in May, NWS
conducts outreach that includes messaging related to developing an evacuation
plan, assembling a disaster supply kit, and getting flood insurance (more
information is available athttps://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness).
NWS also organizes outreach talks for schools and community groups that offer
safety information related to rip currents, floods, lightning, and hurricanes.
Mr. Heden also touched on the efforts of the NWS Newport/Morehead City office,
which coordinates with NC Sea Grant to provide information related to sea-level
rise and potential impacts. Specific outreach requests include providing talks
for military professionals related to hurricane preparedness and outreach
booths at community events. New outreach efforts include NWS hurricane
community forums (in-person and virtual) that focus on sharing key preparedness
messages and the Weather Ready Nation Ambassador program to support community
engagement. NWS Tropical SKYWARN and Integrated Warning Team training are also
available. For more information on flood risk and outreach efforts, visit
weather.gov.
Jill Gambill discussed NOAA Georgia Sea
Grant’s efforts related to coastal resilience planning for coastal storms and
sea level rise. In coastal Georgia, more than 10 inches of sea-level rise has
been measured at the NOAA Fort Pulaski tide gauge since 1935. Tide gauge data
supports that the frequency and magnitude of flooding in coastal Georgia are
increasing, and the regional rate of sea level rise is accelerating. Sea Grant
is working to increase community capacity and mitigate risk to natural hazards.
Current Georgia Sea Grant efforts include diversifying their workforce,
progressing equitable access to resources and decision-making processes, and
seeking community input on communicating flood risk. Georgia Sea Grant, with
funding from NOAA’s Weather Program Office and in collaboration with the NWS,
is developing virtual reality simulations of structural flooding from storm
surge. The platform also provides methods to explore the benefits of different
mitigation measures, such as elevating a home or purchasing flood insurance.
Ms. Gambill also highlighted the importance of considering environmental,
economic, and social benefits of community projects and provided an example of
urban tree restoration efforts in Savannah that have multiple benefits of flood
reduction, heat reduction, workforce development, and youth engagement.
To continue the TCS discussion of climate
change challenges for coastal communities, our next Coastal Connections session
will be focused on sea level rise. The
Coastal Connections discussion will be held on Wednesday. March 30th from 3-4pm
Eastern. Join
us to learn about trends in sea level rise, considering recent data in
comparison to the geological record, and participate in a discussion about sea
level rise impacts on coastal resources and general mitigation approaches.
Featured speakers include:
John Englander,
Oceanographer/Author
Molly Mitchell, PhD, Research
Assistant Professor at Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Following presentations, attendees will have
the opportunity to ask questions and share their own expertise in a moderated
discussion. To participate in this free event, please register on Eventbrite at
the following link: https://tcs-coastal-connections-web-meeting11.eventbrite.com
By Ashley Gordon, Melanie Perello, and Steven MacLeod
While only two small-scale offshore wind projects are currently operational along the East Coast, the U.S. offshore wind market is quickly expanding. In the coming decades, as much as 26 GW of wind power could be generated within existing offshore leases between Rhode Island and Virginia. To consider how this may affect coastal communities, The Coastal Society’s Coastal Connections session, held on February 26, 2021, focused on the benefits and challenges of offshore wind development. Moderated by Jennifer McCann, Director of U.S. Coastal Programs at the University of Rhode Island and Director of Extension with Rhode Island Sea Grant, a panel of experts highlighted the planning, economic, and environmental considerations associated with offshore wind project development for coastal communities, focusing on recent development along the East Coast.
Our panel of experts held a lively discussion, addressing
questions about renewable energy and carbon emission life cycles, capacity
building for supply chain and job creation, impacts to fisheries, benefits of
regional partnership and marine spatial planning, and challenges for offshore
wind development in other regions of the U.S.
You can watch a recording of the panel here, and highlights from each of the panelists’ presentations are provided below.
Mike
Snyder, Ocean and Great Lakes Program Manager for the NY Department of State’s
Office of Planning, Development, and Community Infrastructure
Mike Snyder provided an overview of the various types and scales of communities involved in offshore wind development. He recognized multiple challenges and opportunities that are nested across different scales related to fisheries, marine navigation, carbon emissions reductions, rate impacts to local taxpayers, recreation/public access, equity issues, and aesthetic impacts. In the state of New York, technical working groups have been created to address environmental, commercial, and recreational fishing, maritime, and jobs and supply chain considerations. Mike also emphasized the importance of an evolutionary approach to offshore wind development. (Presentation available here)
Matt
Smith, Director of Offshore Wind for the Hampton Roads Alliance
Matt Smith discussed economic development
opportunities associated with offshore wind. While the majority of the current
supply chain capacity for offshore wind is in Europe, the Hampton Roads
Alliance is focused on building a supply chain in the Hampton Roads region of
Virginia. Matt reviewed the multi-year process for U.S. offshore wind projects,
which includes siting and development, design and manufacture, construction and
installation, and operations and maintenance. Two offshore wind projects,
Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia project and Avangrid Renewables’ Kitty Hawk
project, will be serviced by the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. These two
projects combined are anticipated to provide power to 1.4 million homes, avoid
about 10 million tons of CO2 emissions, and provide a $1.43 billion direct
economic impact from construction alone on the regional economy. (Presentation
is available here)
Laurie
Kutina, Environmental Scientist at WSP
Laurie Kutina reviewed the environmental
considerations associated with offshore wind development and the U.S. agencies
and regulations involved, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). She provided examples from
the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) New
York Offshore Wind Master Plan, which charted a course to the procurement of an
initial 2,400 MW of offshore wind capacity for the state. Anticipated
environmental benefits to New York include 5 million tons of greenhouse gas
reduction and air quality improvements, particularly in New York City and Long
Island. Laurie also discussed wind turbine visibility considerations. In New
York, the turbines of the closest planned wind farms would be located roughly
14 miles offshore and would be barely visible. Laurie highlighted opportunities
that exist to engage in the offshore wind development process, including the
NYSERDA offshore wind outreach webpage. (Presentation is available here)
As of 2015, it was estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, which is about one garbage truckload of plastic per minute (Jambeck et al., 2015). This shocking statistic was shared to kick-off presentations at The Coastal Society’s November 12, 2020 Coastal Connections meeting, Plastic Pollution: Coastal and Marine Trends. Presentations from three panelists highlighted science, policy, and stakeholder engagement efforts related to coastal and marine plastic pollution. The session was moderated by Catherine Tobin, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Massachusetts Boston, whose research focuses on the effects of microfibers on oysters.
Nicholas Mallos provided
an overview of the magnitude of the global plastic pollution issue. Mr. Mallos
oversees the Ocean Conservancy’s global portfolio of work on marine debris as
Senior Director of the Trash Free Seas Program. Even with current plastic
reduction commitments from governments and industries, it is estimated about a
cargo ship’s worth of plastics (by weight) will enter lakes, rivers, and our
ocean daily by 2030, which equals about 53 million metric tons annually (Borrelle
et al., 2020). Reducing plastic waste,
increasing waste management efficiency, and expanding cleanup efforts are key
actions recommended to reduce plastic pollution. This Ocean Conservancy video provides more
information on recent plastic research, and Mr. Mallos’ presentation is
available here.
Fred Dobbs focused his
presentation on microplastic pollution. Dr. Dobbs is a marine microbial
ecologist and Chair of the Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
at Old Dominion University. Microplastics (particles less than 5mm) can be
manufactured, or result from the breakdown of larger plastics, and are ingested
by marine organisms, including even deep-sea amphipods. Dr. Dobbs highlighted emerging
research related to microplastics, including potential human health risks from
eating raw oysters containing plastics harboring a pathogenic biofilm. Recent
research has indicated marine plastics may disseminate antibiotic-resistance
genes through biofilms, which serve as a habitat for bacteria and human
pathogens. Dr. Dobbs presentation is available here.
Katherine Youngblood
provided an overview of the Marine Debris Tracker app, a citizen-science,
open-data initiative for collecting geospatial litter data. Ms. Youngblood is a
Research Engineer at the University of Georgia New Materials Institute in the
Jambeck Research Group and the Citizen Science Director of Marine Debris
Tracker. This video provides more information
on the Debris Tracker app, which has been used to collect data in multiple
countries, including those along the Ganges River as part of the National
Geographic Sea to Source expedition. A new Plastic Pollution Action Journal
provides guidance for logging individual plastic-use and recommending actions
to reduce plastic-use. Ms. Youngblood’s presentation is available here.
Following the guest
speakers’ presentations, meeting participants posed questions related to the
following topics:
Communicating the upstream
impacts of plastic pollution.
Policies for addressing
plastic pollution.
Recent trends in plastic
pollution as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased personal
protective equipment (PPE) waste.
Actions for citizen
engagement, including reducing single-use plastics, researching local recycling
programs, and talking to local officials.
For more information on other Coastal Connections
sessions, including our recent February session focused on coastal communities
and offshore wind development, check out the TCS Coastal Connections webpage.
If you are interested in learning more or volunteering to help develop the Coastal
Connections series, please email us at TCSconnections@thecoastalsociety.org.
References:
S.B. Borrelle, J. Ringma, K. L. Law, C. C. Monnahan,
L. Lebreton, A. McGivern, E. Murphy, J. Jambeck, G.H. Leonard, M. A. Hilleary,
M. Eriksen, H. P. Possingham, H. De Frond, L. R. Gerber, B. Polidoro, A. Tahir,
M. Bernard, N. Mallos, M. Barnes, C. M. Rochman, Predicted growth in plastic
waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution. Science.369, 1515-1518
(2020).
J.R. Jambeck, R. Geyer, C. Wilcox, T. R. Sigler, M.
Perryman, A. Andrady, R. Narayan, K. L. Law, Plastic waste inputs from land
into the ocean. Science347, 768-771 (2015).
The Coastal Society’s
Coastal Connections Web Conferencing Series was initiated in 2020 with two
concepts: Trending Topic sessions and Professional Spotlight
sessions. Here we focus on the first two Professional Spotlight
sessions, which are members-only events featuring seasoned TCS professionals who
share their career paths and provide career tips to student and young
professional members. It is also a chance for the guest speaker to reconnect
with other long-time TCS members.
The first Professional
Spotlight session, which was the second
session in the overall Coastal Connections series, was held on Thursday,
October 1, 2020 at 5 pm (Eastern) using Google Meet. TCS member Rick DeVoe
was the guest speaker. Rick, the recently retired Executive Director of the
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, provided an overview of his professional
career path, including his educational background, his experiences with the
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, and his involvement as one of the earliest members
of The Coastal Society.
Rick shared several
professional tips, including the importance of communication skills, building a
network, and finding a great mentor. He advised us to “be prepared
for the worst, and the best will result”. Rick noted that Margaret A. Davidson – the honorary
namesake for our TCS career development program – was an influential mentor for
him.
Discussion following
Rick’s presentation covered advice for identifying a professional mentor, the
role of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium in coastal management, and coastal
resiliency planning. For example, Rick noted the importance of restoring
habitat in a way that accounts for predicted environmental conditions such as
higher sea levels. We wish Rick all
the best as he embarks on his retirement adventures!
The second Professional Spotlight
session (and fourth
session in the overall series) was held on Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 4 pm
(Eastern) through Zoom. The session featured TCS member Lisa Phipps, the
North Coast Regional Representative for the Oregon Department of Land
Conservation and Development. Lisa discussed a career path that began with
fisheries research for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. She then shifted
to work in multiple levels of government in Oregon, including positions as a
mayor and a judge, after she obtained a Master’s in Environmental Policy with a
focus on coastal zone management from Vermont Law School. In her current role,
Lisa works with coastal communities to supports the implementation of statewide
planning goals.
Lisa shared lessons that she has learned, encouraging
us to be adaptable and willing to try a new career/life path when faced with
roadblocks. She noted that “sometimes what you
thought was the destination is simply a stopover”. She summarized with a Winnie
the Pooh quotation: “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be
solved.”
Discussion following Lisa’s presentation touched on the value of seeking a job based on a desired type of work and/or geographic location to help ensure a rewarding experience. Lisa emphasized the importance of listening to and truly considering multiple stakeholder perspectives when working towards a conclusion. Lisa noted that some of her most satisfying experiences involved directly helping to improve the life of one person at a time. To receive invitations for future Professional Spotlight sessions, please be sure your TCS membership is current. Join or renew at the TCS website: Membership – The Coastal Society.
