Gretchen Thuesen Email & Phone Number

Seattle, Washington, United States

Lead global certification for seafood and consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers located in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa supplying brands including Kroger, Costco, Walmart, and Whole Foods.Develop and manage seafood and CPG certification programs. Responsibilities include: * Oversee certification decisions. Ensure Certificate Holders comply with Fair Trade USA standards, policies, and requirements. Perform technical quality review of third party audit… Show more Lead global certification for seafood and consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers located in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa supplying brands including Kroger, Costco, Walmart, and Whole Foods.Develop and manage seafood and CPG certification programs. Responsibilities include: * Oversee certification decisions. Ensure Certificate Holders comply with Fair Trade USA standards, policies, and requirements. Perform technical quality review of third party audit reports to ensure requirements are followed. * Work with accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to ensure successful implementation of the Fair Trade USA producer standards (Capture Fisheries Standard, Agricultural Production Standard), including calibration on standard criteria interpretations and assurance processes. Cross-departmental collaboration to ensure ongoing communication and consistent implementation of programs and projects across diverse geographic environments. * Develop policies and procedures for certification assurance processes. * Program innovation to design and test new models and approaches while increasing robustness and streamlining processes. Show less

Seattle, Washington, United States

Lead Standards work to support the Seafood program, including managing the Capture Fisheries Standard and supporting the aquaculture program within the Agricultural Production Standard. Serve as a subject matter expert in the seafood industry for the organization in general.

Seattle, Washington, United States

Direct and oversee the Peru Domestic Market Program, which focuses on identifying and implementing market-based solutions for environmentally sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood in Peru. Responsibilities include:* Strategy development and goal-setting to ensure program success while aligning both in-country needs and organizational mission.* Oversee and manage day to day project operations to facilitate and maximize team productivity and effectiveness.* Lead in-country… Show more Direct and oversee the Peru Domestic Market Program, which focuses on identifying and implementing market-based solutions for environmentally sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood in Peru. Responsibilities include:* Strategy development and goal-setting to ensure program success while aligning both in-country needs and organizational mission.* Oversee and manage day to day project operations to facilitate and maximize team productivity and effectiveness.* Lead in-country network development, partnership strengthening, and stakeholder engagement to maximize impact.* Develop, monitor, and manage program budget.* Support and participate in business development opportunities, including identifying funds, proposal writing, project and budget scoping, and application to suitable funding opportunities relevant to FoF work in Peru. Show less

Greater Chicago Area

My position is two-fold, and includes both (1) Research Phase Lead, and (2) Peru Project Manager.(1) Research Phase Lead: At an organizational level, it is my responsibility to develop and evolve key intellectual assets that allow Future of Fish and its partners to iteratively and rapidly scale fishery development work. Specifically, developing, standardizing, and evolving the overarching approach, process, templates, frameworks, and tools that make up our Fishery Development Model… Show more My position is two-fold, and includes both (1) Research Phase Lead, and (2) Peru Project Manager.(1) Research Phase Lead: At an organizational level, it is my responsibility to develop and evolve key intellectual assets that allow Future of Fish and its partners to iteratively and rapidly scale fishery development work. Specifically, developing, standardizing, and evolving the overarching approach, process, templates, frameworks, and tools that make up our Fishery Development Model (FDM) Research Phase in ways that succinctly and effectively inform our geography-specific fishery development strategies, communicate our findings to stakeholders, and inform interventions we plan to implement during the Design & Demonstration phase of the FDM that follows the Research Phase.(2) Peru Project Manager: At Future of Fish, we work in multiple geographies implementing fishery developing strategies. One such geography is Peru, and my responsibility is to plan and direct activities the Peru team is to carry out, manage day-to-day project operations to facilitate and maximize team productivity and effectiveness, and ensure we are tracking toward and completing grant deliverables. Plan and direct activities in three Peru programs, and collectively plan, execute, and manage implementation projects. Show less

Greater Seattle Area

My position combines the skills of a research specialist with the organizational talents of a project coordinator. As a research associate, I am responsible for working with project teams internally as well as in-country partners externally to conduct research in support of traceability technology implementation geared toward realizing both sustainable management and maximum value of these fisheries. Specifically, I work closely with both colleagues and in-country partners to identify… Show more My position combines the skills of a research specialist with the organizational talents of a project coordinator. As a research associate, I am responsible for working with project teams internally as well as in-country partners externally to conduct research in support of traceability technology implementation geared toward realizing both sustainable management and maximum value of these fisheries. Specifically, I work closely with both colleagues and in-country partners to identify quantitative and qualitative research needs and collectively plan, execute, and manage implementation projects. Current projects include work in the Belize lobster and conch fisheries, Vietnam blue swimming crab, and the Chilean hake fishery.Future of Fish is a non-profit systems change incubator that provides research, design, and business strategy services to entrepreneurs, NGOs, foundations, and innovators as they work to improve global seafood sustainability. We have identified robust, end-to-end traceability and the growth of “Storied Fish” as key drivers of large-scale change. Our vision is a global seafood industry that supplies traceable, trustworthy, legally caught fish. For more information, please visit http://futureoffish.org/. Show less

Seattle, Washington, United States

Summarized sustainable seafood news stories and academic papers, interviewed content experts, and authored 20 articles on the Sustainable Fisheries UW website that included both opinion pieces and neutral representations of the current state of affairs regarding specific sustainable fisheries topics.

Greater Seattle Area

Received a Master of Marine Affairs (MMA) from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at UW June 2016. SMEA is a highly interdisciplinary program that promotes a cross-sectoral approach spanning economic, political, social and environmental interests. My interests at SMEA included emerging technologies in ocean resource management, seafood sustainability, seafood supply chain traceability and incentivizing entities (industry, NGOs, agencies) to work toward ocean health and… Show more Received a Master of Marine Affairs (MMA) from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at UW June 2016. SMEA is a highly interdisciplinary program that promotes a cross-sectoral approach spanning economic, political, social and environmental interests. My interests at SMEA included emerging technologies in ocean resource management, seafood sustainability, seafood supply chain traceability and incentivizing entities (industry, NGOs, agencies) to work toward ocean health and sustainability.My thesis work entailed collaborating with Point 97, a fisheries focused mobile technology firm, and focused on examining how to transition a small-scale Indonesian tuna fishery from paper-based to digital data collection by integrating a mobile electronic system into dockside monitoring. This technology was meant to capture, understand, and validate the flow of ocean products from harvesters into (1) fisheries monitoring programs and (2) local or export markets. After market-testing this app, we conducted field-testing in order to document and assess the ability of this tool to provide clear and tangible benefits to fisheries monitoring programs. Show less

Greater Seattle Area

I worked on the Oceanic Remote Chemical Analyzer (ORCA) buoy project headed by Allan Devol of the School of Oceanography and Jan Newton of the Applied Physics Lab. This project is aimed at monitoring water quality in Hood Canal. I maintained an autonomous moored profiling system and time-series database by doing the following: conducting maintenance of mooring and components; maintaining, calibrating, and deploying oceanographic instruments; performing data analysis and database management; and… Show more I worked on the Oceanic Remote Chemical Analyzer (ORCA) buoy project headed by Allan Devol of the School of Oceanography and Jan Newton of the Applied Physics Lab. This project is aimed at monitoring water quality in Hood Canal. I maintained an autonomous moored profiling system and time-series database by doing the following: conducting maintenance of mooring and components; maintaining, calibrating, and deploying oceanographic instruments; performing data analysis and database management; and collecting and performing laboratory analysis of water samples using fluorometry and titration. Show less

Greater Seattle Area

I teamed up with Flip Labs and Future of Fish during Sustainable Seafood Week, an effort to generate a national conversation surrounding sustainable seafood by hosting events across the U.S. to unite chefs, fishermen, industry professionals, and locals. My role was to raise awareness and generate buzz around events and seafood news by generating a social media presence.

Greater Seattle Area

I helped to conduct market research for real-time data capture and management technology tools intended to digitize data collection across the seafood supply chain, from net to plate. I researched current use of electronic tools in fisheries monitoring programs and conducted stakeholder analyses to (1) better understand the market for electronic fisheries reporting and management software and (2) develop survey and interview questions. I distributed an online survey and interviewed a… Show more I helped to conduct market research for real-time data capture and management technology tools intended to digitize data collection across the seafood supply chain, from net to plate. I researched current use of electronic tools in fisheries monitoring programs and conducted stakeholder analyses to (1) better understand the market for electronic fisheries reporting and management software and (2) develop survey and interview questions. I distributed an online survey and interviewed a variety of different stakeholders all over the U.S. including fishermen, seafood buyers (particularly, those managing Community Supported Fisheries), government agencies, and NGOs. Results from these interviews and surveys were combined with a formalized market assessment to determine global market potential for these data collection and management apps. Show less

Anchorage, Alaska Area

I worked as a domestic groundfish observer in Alaska, where I lived aboard domestic fishing vessels and sampled catches for species composition, monitored incidence of prohibited species, estimated total catch, and gathered biological data from target species.

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

I gained experience working in a dive shop while obtaining my Divemaster certification. I organized dives, led dive groups, and assisted students in mastering scuba diving skills.

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Assisted with weekly collection and analysis of a physical oceanography monitoring program in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, including measurements of oxygen, salinity, temperature. chlorophyll, and suspended sediments.

Greater Seattle Area

Operated a high-vacuum gas extraction line to remove dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater samples for stable isotope analysis in Paul Quay’s Stable Isotope Lab in the School of Oceanography. I aided in the completion of several diverse projects by assessing stable isotope content of seawater samples collected from all over the world, including the North Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and sent from research institutions nationwide.

Greater Seattle Area

Spent 2 months on San Miguel Island, California assisting in gathering field data for an ongoing California sea lion population dynamics study. Branded individuals were resighted and monitored to determine population trends, to estimate age-specific survival and reproductive rates, and to examine behavioral ecology. This internship included completion of an independent research project involving the examination of factors of primary importance in prolonging territorial occupancy of California… Show more Spent 2 months on San Miguel Island, California assisting in gathering field data for an ongoing California sea lion population dynamics study. Branded individuals were resighted and monitored to determine population trends, to estimate age-specific survival and reproductive rates, and to examine behavioral ecology. This internship included completion of an independent research project involving the examination of factors of primary importance in prolonging territorial occupancy of California sea lion males. Show less

Greater Seattle Area

Prepared food for and fed birds and marine mammals, cleaned tanks and cages, and aided biologists with tasks such as data recording, collecting fecal samples, and answering visitors’ questions.

Master’S Degree, Environmental Studies, 3.67

Activities and Societies: Treasurer of Student Environmental Affairs Society (SEAS), an organization run by School of Marine.

Bachelor’S Degree, Marine Biology And Biological Oceanography, 3.72

Activities and Societies: Awards: School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Faculty Merit Award received June 2008 Societies: Golden Key.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biology, General, 3.67