I remember the exact moment I fell in love with Cook Inlet | Tikahtnu. It was March 2020, just a week before the pandemic hit, on my first-ever visit to Homer. I was here for a scientific diving class with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As I rounded the bend into town, the mountains of the Kenai Peninsula rose in a glittering wall over the bay. We spent the week diving near Seldovia, listening to otters mewing to their pups, feeling sea ice scrape our faces, and watching eagles glide through the snow flurries. I knew I had found a place worth protecting.
That experience led me back to the Inlet to pursue a master’s in marine biology, studying ocean acidification in Kachemak Bay. I spent those years exploring the Cook Inlet watershed, from Homer to Denali. Now, I’m thrilled to return to the community and join Inletkeeper as the new Communications Director.
I’m a scientist, but I’m also a storyteller. I believe that public engagement is essential to protecting the Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains. My career has reflected that belief, and I have worked in a wide variety of science communication roles, producing everything from videos and factsheets to social media campaigns. What truly drives me is helping people form a genuine connection to the environment and empowering them to take an active role in its protection.
One of my favorite early roles was as a volunteer interpreter at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Swapping ocean stories with visitors made me feel part of something bigger – a community connected by shared love and responsibility for the sea.
Most recently, I worked at the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office, focusing on aquaculture. In this new role, I’m excited to work with a community-based organization that weaves together advocacy, outreach, science, and education to achieve its mission of protecting Tikahtnu. I’m also eager to listen and learn as a new member of the Homer community.
I look forward to meeting you!