2023 NMEA Elections—Candidates
PRESIDENT-ELECT CANDIDATE
Tara Hicks Johnson
Outreach Manager, Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, NH
I have been passionately involved in marine education for over 20 years, with my current focus on doing informal outreach related to marine robotics, marine science, and ocean engineering. I run a regional underwater robotics competition called Seacoast SeaPerch (part of the national SeaPerch program). Through my work with the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, I led the development of the mission course for SeaPerch this year to reflect recent technology cruises aboard the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, introducing students from all over the country to the work being done in Ocean Exploration. I also help to coordinate outreach events at the University of New Hampshire like our Ocean Discovery Day, and coordinate school visits and educator workshops throughout the year.
I have served on the NMEA Board of Directors for the past four years, and am the current chair of the NMEA Conference Committee, having been a co-chair of both the 2019 Conference and the 2021 Virtual Conference, plus serving on the planning committees for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 conferences. NMEA at its best when we all get to connect, and I want to see how we can expand on those opportunities.
I have lifelong friends and awesome connections thanks to NMEA. Thanks to everyone that make NMEA an incredible association.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES
In 2022, the NMEA board voted to increase our number of directors by one each year for the next 3 years, to end up with 12 directors. As a result, there will be four director positions available in 2023.
Maggie Allen
Education Coordinator & Grants Specialist, NOAA's Office of Education, MD
Since 2017, I’ve worked at NOAA Education sustaining partnerships. I coordinate the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers Network, a group of 25 aquariums across North America. We work on shared initiatives, such as climate literacy, sustainable seafood, and youth engagement. I also am a federal program officer and grants manager for Environmental Literacy Grants, funding nationwide climate resilience education projects. I’ve attended and assisted with site visits across the country, from planting beach grasses in NYC to wading with teen climate leaders in the Everglades to helping out at ocean acidification teacher workshops in Washington State. Overall, I'm passionate about supporting marine education through capacity building and equitable coalitions.
With my interdisciplinary background in Environmental Sociology and Marine Policy, I understand that knowing your audiences' values and backgrounds are vital for successful and equitable marine education. I’ve also taught environmental education across the country, from coral reef ecology in the Florida Keys to the importance of estuaries as an AmeriCorps member at a research reserve in Oregon.
In my spare time, I’m love being in, on, or under the water. I'm also a creative writer; I've written a young adult trilogy and love writing about the marine world and climate change!
Sandra Bilbo
Special Programs & Communications Manager, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, MS
Sandra Bilbo is the Special Programs & Communications Manager at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Mississippi. She leads Grand Bay NERR's communications, exhibit redesign projects, and program evaluations, as well as assists with the Reserve’s field and sampling work, outreach events, and education programming. Sandra holds a Master of Science degree in Marine Resource Management with a Marine Education and Engagement focus from Oregon State University and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with minors in Geology and Related Sciences from the University of South Alabama. Prior to working at Grand Bay NERR, she was an Aquarium Educator and Programs Evaluator at the Oregon Coast Aquarium (Newport, OR), a technician at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, MS), and Museum Explainer at the History Museum of Mobile (Mobile, AL). She attributes her passion for marine science from the amazing formal and informal marine educators she's encountered in her life.
She is the president of the Southern Association of Marine Educators (SAME), the regional chapter that covers Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and panhandle Florida. Through SAME, marine education is supported through scholarships for members to attend NMEA conferences; sponsorships are provided to support efforts like ocean sciences bowl and ROV competitions; and professional development for members are supported through meetings and newsletters. On the national level, she has served as the SAME Chapter Rep as well as on the Board of Directors for the last two years. She is involved with the Education Research and Evaluation committee, chairs the Technology Committee within the Communications Pod, and is hoping to bring the NMEA conference to the Gulf Coast soon!
When she joined SAME’s President chain in 2019, her goal was to increase membership and help SAME become an organization that is visible, involved, and relevant. She hopes to bring that momentum to NMEA and support the organization’s missions to her best ability and capacity.
Valerie Cournoyer
Biology and Marine Biology Teacher, Amity High School, CT
Valerie Cournoyer has been teaching biology and marine biology at Amity High School in Woodbridge, CT for 23 years. For 14 of those years she has also been the Director of the Bermuda Studies Program. The Bermuda course is a half year course culminating in a field study at BIOS-The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. She also advises the Marine Biology Club. The Marine Biology and Oceanography year-long course features marine technology STEM projects. She is a past participant in the MaTTS Project, a joint educational effort between the University of Rhode Island and the University of Connecticut. She has also studied at the Monterey Bay Aquarium through a professional development program called “Connecting with Marine Science” and completed the MATE program at Monterey Peninsula College. She has also completed NGSX training at The CT Science Center.
Valerie is the SENEME Chapter Representative and former Curator of Education at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. She has been very active on several NMEA Committees.
During the pandemic, Valerie piloted the University of Colorado, CIRES curriculum called “Arctic Feedbacks” and “A Changing Arctic” featuring the MOSAiC Project. Nature journaling with students has also become an important Social Emotional Learning activity in Ms. Cournoyer’s classes.
Molly Dushay
Education & Outreach Director, North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA); High School Science Teacher, Trumbull Public Schools; Adjunct Professor, Sacred Heart University, CT
I actively promote marine education for all age groups, including K-12, higher education, and professional development. As a marine and environmental science teacher, I specialize in designing curriculum that aligns with standards like NGSS, Ocean Literacy Principles, ISTE, and Common Core. My approach focuses on inquiry-based learning, student-centered instruction, and hands-on activities. I collaborate with local and global partners, benefiting my students and participants through NAMEPA. I develop campaigns, write grants, and execute programs with organizations like NFWF, NOAA, and USCG. I've presented at NMEA conferences and delivered sessions at the NSTA conference, focusing on marine science curriculum and community engagement.
With expertise in pedagogical techniques, curriculum development, and instructional strategies for NMEA members, I forge long-term partnerships in marine science through research collaborations with academic institutions, non-profits, and corporations. My knowledge of sustainable maritime practices, in line with the UN's IMO, complements my strong technology background as former Microsoft employee
I strive to prepare our future leaders as critical thinkers and problem solvers, dedicated to protecting and preserving the marine environment.
Tom Mullin
Executive Director, currently at Herring Gut Coastal Science Center but transitioning soon to The Friends of the Cobbosee Watershed, ME
As executive director, I am overseeing the educational outreach that strives to make the connections between marine and fresh water ecosystems and how they are interdependent. Through education and community science, I am seeking to have clean oceans, healthy ecosystems and a sustainable future for all.
I have extensive non-profit executive and leadership experience, deep knowledge of college and university networks and an extensive network of professional colleagues from across the globe involved with educational and interpretive outreach and operations. I have a commitment to the mission of NMEA and wish to see it be a sustainable entity for years to come.
NMEA is the voice of Marine Education in the United States. It is poised to be a voice on the international stage as well.
Joanna Philippoff
Assistant Specialist, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, HI
I am the chair of NMEA’s Educational Research & Evaluation Committee and of Oceania, the Hawai‘i-based chapter of NMEA. Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse states in the U.S., which is reflected in the student population of the University of Hawai‘i—where I am a faculty member. I have devoted my career to marine science education given my own background in marine science research and passion for the ocean as well as my geographic location—Hawai‘i is an island state. Although the well-known deficit in ocean-related curriculum content may be more understandable in land-locked areas, it is true even in Hawai‘i, where understanding of, and access to, the ocean is often an equity issue. I have focused my efforts on increasing access to and engagement with the ocean by developing marine science curriculum and courses K–20, facilitating aquatic-focused teacher professional development, and developing participatory (citizen) science programs centered on the intertidal. The latter program, called OPIHI (Our Project In Hawai‘i’s Intertidal), fosters environmental stewardship by engaging students in the scientific process while collecting rigorous scientific data.
I bring a variety of skills and abilities to NMEA including experience in program management (e.g., funds and personnel associated with grants and contracts), knowledge and experience with pre-service educators in teacher prep programs, extensive teacher professional development facilitation, grant writing and proposal review, and, perhaps most notably, research and evaluation skills. My research has focused on the impact of participation of novices (students and teachers) in authentic marine science research (e.g., citizen science) and the long-term effects of teacher professional development. I’ve also served as an external evaluator or evaluation consultant on a variety of aquatic-focused projects.
Don Pinkerton
Education Consultant, BioEd Collaborators, MA
I support marine science education by serving on the Board of Directors of Massachusetts Marine Educators for the past 10 years. I have served as President and Treasurer. I am a regular attendee at NMEA annual meetings and participate in its programs. I have been passionate about marine science my entire life. As a teacher (now retired from the classroom), I taught an oceanography class and worked to include marine science themes in my freshman biology class. I have served as a volunteer with the marine mammal rescue team at the New England Aquarium. I am currently founding a non-profit organization called LynnLab in Lynn, Massachusetts, which will include marine science themes in its programming, since Lynn is an ocean-front community.
I have experience in executive leadership and finance, having served as an officer of several non-profit organizations, and on municipal boards. I was President and Treasurer of MME and also the Swampscott Yacht Club, and served as chair of the Finance Committee in the Town of Swampscott. I also have experience with strategic planning.
I value relationships and believe in building strong networks.
The general membership of the organization is encouraged to submit other nominees for elected positions on the Board. Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 30th and each submission from the membership must include signatures of at least five (5) members of the organization in addition to the signature of the nominee. Submissions should be sent to David Christopher at dmchrist@udel.edu. The election will open in early July and members will be sent a ballot via the email address listed in their NMEA member profile.