I have a Master of Science in Fisheries and Mariculture from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. In April 2023, I joined the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in Arlington, VA, as Director for the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) and Coordinator for the Habitat and Artificial Reef Programs.My work focuses on coordinating conservation and restoration projects along the U.S. Atlantic coast and providing habitat information for Commission-managed species through the production of resource management documents. Restoration efforts, in collaboration with state, federal, tribal, and non-governmental partners, include dam removals, oyster reef and living shoreline enhancements, seagrass and wetland restoration, and artificial reef installations.Previously, I researched the climate-driven expansion of black mangroves into temperate salt marshes in the Gulf of Mexico, examining how this shift affects resident fauna and studying mangrove damage, mortality, and recovery in response to extreme freeze events.