Melissa Locke Email and Phone Number

Environmental Law Attorney - Litigation Support

Licensed attorney with a focus on legal research and policy matters, administrative law, subject-matter analysis, general litigation support, legislative interpretation & tracking, limited lobbying. - Administrative/ Environmental Law- Landowner Rights - Estate Planning - Investigative Research - Complex Document Review Projects

Lecturing undergraduates and graduates in classes such as Environmental Law, Environmental Policy Analysis, Environmental Leadership, & Agricultural Law.

- Leading policy communications and outreach efforts at grassroots, community and government levels.- Issue-based political campaign organizing including designing and carrying out strategic initiatives to advance campaign goals. - Advocate of environmental policies including those relating to CAA, CWA, CERCLA/ Superfund, CZMA, NHPA, MFA, ESA, BOs, renewable energy, fisheries law, endangered species, marine and coastal spatial planning and other environmental issues. - Land owner issues including land trust and conservation easements - Project management for various initiatives in the environmental, organizational effectiveness, and IT solutions realms.- Contract review and creation, regulatory compliance analysis, bookkeeping and other record management responsibilities.- Litigation support including legal research, analysis memos, brief writing, and document review.- Managing RFP processes including grant writing, coordinating contributing principal investigators and support staff, and follow-up reporting requirements- Fundraising activities such as funding research and donor relations- Engaging academics, resource managers, and community stakeholders to create and implement collaborative and applied research and management programs- Strong background in administrative law and agency rule-making processes- Environmental, social, and governance researh, advocacy, and negotiation related to socially responsible investing in domestic and international companies .

-Advocating for land owner rights, state park funding, and enforcement of waste water maintenance-Grassroots campaign organization-Working with TX state legislators & congressional committees to ensure proper placement of oil pipelines-Presenting information to state agencies in order to provide socio-economic and scientific information on TREAD’s various initiatives

Attorney & Policy Manager (June 2012 – May 2013)Southeast Fishery Policy Specialist (May 2013 – May 2014)- Served as assistant counsel for the oceans program providing staff with guidance on legal issues including: Litigation support such as document review, legal research, issue analysis and brief writing; Review, comparison and analysis of new bills and changes to existing law; Analysis of the viability of various conservation initiatives within existing legal and policy frameworks; Research, analysis, and summary memos related to state and federal laws- Legislative and regulatory affairs and outreach-Helped guide EDF’s strategy and responses to changes in the policy environment including analyzing legislative proposals and rulemakings then responding using various outreach efforts to state/federal agencies, legislators and congressional committees- Designed, implemented and managed grass-roots strategies as they related to national environmental campaigns- Represented EDF in key meetings with administration officials, NGOs, scientists and policy experts - Developed external partnerships including fishermen, Council members agency representatives, and other stakeholders- Participated in fundraising support activities such as grant writing and reporting and donor engagement

- Lectured graduate and upper level undergraduate courses such as Marine Policy & Law, Environmental Law, and CA Environmental Law - Agencies & Administrative Procedure- Created multi-disciplinary curriculum to cross-train students in biological sciences, resources management and/or policy - Advised undergraduate and graduate students as interns, in career development, and during thesis development

- Project management for San Luis Obispo Science & Ecosystem Alliance (SLOSEA) collaborative research projects related to estuarine water quality, regional fisheries, invasive species, climate change planning, working waterfronts and protection of coastal habitats- Conducted programmatic tasks such as managing RFP processes, researching new funding opportunities, coordinating and writing grant proposals with multiple department PIs, generating periodic reports, planning and directing Leadership and Advisory Committee meetings as well as serving as mentor to SLOSEA graduate student fellows- Served as point of contact and facilitated cooperation among resource managers, policy-makers and principle investigators to ensure projects were on point and integrated research results into regulatory processes and policies- Authored and submitted public comments relevant to SLOSEA initiatives to help inform regulatory actions and policies with science-based information (e.g., US EPA regulation of marine toxins studied at Cal Poly, the importance of a waste water treatment plant in the coastal community, and the possible impacts of seismic testing on marine environments)- Served on the policy network leadership team for the Cal State Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) including presenting CSU research to various forums and preparing academics to discuss technical topics with a broad array of audiences- Managed SLOSEA communications efforts by writing, designing and distributing newsletters, emails, website and social media content and presented research and methods to various audiences such as federal and state legislators, community stakeholders, and at conferences- Represented SLOSEA at community planning meetings related to climate change - Steered an organization effectiveness study to build core strengths in areas as strategic planning, financial management, board and executive leadership, and communications

- Used subscription and public databases to research and analyze major domestic and international companies concerning their positive and negative environmental actions, sustainability initiatives, corporate governance record, federal and state law compliance, and human rights record based on various environmental, social and governance standards of socially responsible investing- Due diligence research on portfolio holdings to ensure investments met client standards - Supported shareholder advocacy initiatives such as promoting and improving environmental policies, shareholder and stakeholder corporate governance concerns, and human rights protections by interacting with company executives, organizing and submitting proxy communications, and participating in round table discussions to improve industry-wide business practices

- Prepared legal memos and court documents, researched legal questions, and participated in document review - Participated in team that focused on the National Environmental Policy Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Indian Long-Term Leasing Act, and National Historical Preservation Act - Assisted in developing home owners’ property tax handbook relating to environmental concerns

- Supporting staff in preparation for violation hearings such as document review, legal research, and dispute resolution- Prepared CA Coastal Act violation referral memos for submission to the CA Office of Attorney General - Authored legal memos on subjects such as an interpretation of the Commission’s role in federal consistency review of federal actions under the Coastal Zone Management Act and CA Coastal Act, the legality of dedicated public access easements in consideration for Coastal Development Permits, and the Commission’s authority to apply civil penalties - Assisted in the justification of challenged state and federal consistency CCC enforcement decisions

- Prepared and gave public comments on federal and state bills, and administrative agency actions - Attended and participated in agency and stakeholder meetings supporting the establishment of a network of marine protected areas per the CA Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA)- Conducted legal research and prepared memos on legal topics related to state and federal laws such as the Clean Water Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, MLPA and an issues related to CA Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act - Met with CA legislators on behalf of the Ocean Conservancy and attended CA Assembly Natural Resources Committee meetings concerning proposed California environmental and marine bills - Edited and researched several chapters of an ocean & coastal law legal text

-Collected and analyzed wetland restoration data using a nationwide survey of wetland restoration mangers and meta-data literature search to determine what scientific methods, legal tools, government policies, and other factors contribute to the success or failure of wetland restoration projects- Met and discussed with Michigan state legislators on the importance of wetland preservation, and presented suggestions to preserve Michigan’s natural space through policy, funding initiatives, and statutes

- Designed and implemented environmental education programs for Waterloo State Park campground visitors- Created environmental education displays for park's visitor center- Invasive species education and removal

- Served as liaison to business implementation team and as technical project manager for the design and execution of an integrated customer service and document imaging software solution at the University of Michigan's HMO, MCARE- Maintained network integrity through network design, preventative measures, ad hoc procedures, and troubleshooting including server design and building, networking and router technology, as well as software and hardware updates- Managed and installed hardware, networking needs, operating software, and end-use applications for the University of Michigan School of Engineering’s remote access servers- Authored technical documents and conducted training for end-users and information technology staff