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Work experience

2002Present

Private Wildlife Consultant
  • Provide wildlife management and government relations expertise, conservation planning, outreach, and facilitation support to conservation NGOs
  • Develop web, print and other wildlife management and conservation content for conservation NGOs
  • Author technical and popular writing projects for both professional and general audiences
  • Conduct biological planning, develop habitat conservation plans and habitat and populationmanagement recommendations for individual landowners in west, south, north and panhandle regions of Texas based on their wildlife, plant, habitat and ranch management goals.
  • Develop and conduct wildlife population monitoring and habitat monitoring.
  • Develop reports for successful implementation from these data.
1993Present

Wildlife Biologist III

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  • Responsible for designing and implementing habitat management practices, wildlife population monitoring and management and public hunting programs for five wildlife management areascovering some 110,000 acres in Central Florida.
  • Primary habitats in assigned area included coastal plain forests, longleaf pine, flatwoods, swamp and wetlands. Provided leadership and administration to three full-time and up to 15 seasonal employees.
  • Responsible for gopher tortoise relocation permit review for a 6 county area.
  • Responsible for preparing conservation plans, annual work plans, budget preparation and justification, scientific reports and other administrative reports with limited supervision.
  • Manage contractors and Departmental work details implementing habitat management and infrastructure development and maintenance projects.
20072011

Southwest Wyoming Program Director

The Nature Conservancy
  • Served as Acting Director of Stewardship overseeing operations and 6 staff on Conservancy preserves and operating cattle ranches throughout Wyoming (over 60,000 acres) September 2009-August 2010.
  • Responsible for leadership and development of a new regional program implementing collaborative landscape conservation in the Wyoming Basins  landscape.
  • Goals include conservation of priority fish and wildlife as well as plants and their habitats. This geography includes federal candidate and other sensitive species.
  • Through well developed interpersonal communication skills developed and nurtured a network of diverse conservation partners including local, state, federal, private and non government organizations (NGOs) - all having varying perspectives and values, but sharing a vision for improved conservation outcomes.
  • Addressed primary conservation threats in this landscape such as intense natural gas development, wind energy and transmission development, subdivision of historic ranches, invasive species and residential development in critical areas. Broad understanding of all current programs available to landowners including federal, state and private agreements such as conservation easements
  • Conservation design and planning experience includes: collaborative development of a three state (ID, UT, WY) conservation plan for the Bear River landscape, implementation of science-based, collaborative strategies to ensure long-term viability of fish and wildlife habitats by informing infrastructure siting and mitigation activities.
  • Develop innnovative projects including scoping of pay for performance landowner incentive programs and creative partnerships with government agencies to deliver conservation programs
20032007

Blanco River Project Director

The Nature Conservancy

  • Responsible for partnership development, conservation land management planning and implementation of fish and wildlife conservation and restoration in the Blanco River Valley landscape of the Edwards Plateau geography of central Texas.
  • Strategies included working with academic and other partners in development of effective monitoring for priority habitats in an effort to address overabundant deer
  • Partnered with landowners by providing technical and financial assistance related to sustainable land and habitat management practices and building consensus with a broad range of individuals and organizations with varying perspectives and values to promote groundwater conservation strategies such as rainwater harvesting.
  • Actively involved in prescribed burning operations with The Nature Conservancy's Texas Fire Team applying prescribed fire statewide under National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards of training and safety.
  • Assigned statewide partnership development duties including service as liaison for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
20022003

Fort Hood Project Director

The Nature Conservancy
  • Provided leadership and administration for staff related to the management and monitoring of golden-cheeked warblers, black-capped vireos and karst invertebrates at the 216,000 acre Fort Hood Military Reservation in Bell and Coryell counties Texas.
  • Supervised 14 full-time and up to 25 part-time positions to accomplish project goals. Project staff included conservation biologists, botanist, heavy equipment operators, office manager, administrative assistant, GIS specialists, seasonal field biologists, seasonal habitat management staff and seasonal prescribed burning technicians.
  • Provided science and technology support to staff, upgrading several technological systems and recruiting specific science capacity to the project allowing a higher volume of peer reviewed publications produced by the project.
  • Prepared, justified and managed an annual budget of up to three million dollars.
  • Developed work plans, cooperative agreements, authorized purchasing ($50,000 signature authorization), partnership development, collaboration and coordination with Department of Defense Natural Resource staff, and editing annual project reports.
  • Ecoregional Consultant participating in the development and implementation of regional conservation plans and specific conservation area plans.
  • Acted as representative for the Conservancy at meetings and other interactions with conservation partners within the Edwards Plateau geography.
19962002

District Leader

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
  • Provided leadership and administration to all Wildlife Division personnel in a 43 county area of north, central and west Texas.
  • Conducted biological planning in the assigned geography which included Cross Timbers and Prairies, Edwards Plateau and Rolling Plains ecological regions.
  • Guided assumption-driven research related to habitat and population management, including some of the first use of GIS technologies in landscape-scale spatial data for the management and study of white-tailed deer populations in Texas.
  • Worked closely with partners, both inside and outside of the Wildlife Division and the agency to further wildlife conservation.
  • Conducted ground, vehicle, aerial wildlife surveys, provided technical assistance to private landowners, develop wildlife management plans for private landowners.
19951996

District Wildlife Biologist

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
  • Worked largely independently as a district wildlife biologist and area manager for Ray Roberts Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in north central Texas.
  • Area of responsibility included 8 counties in north central Texas.
  • Conducted ground, vehicle, aerial wildlife surveys, provided technical assistance to private landowners, develop wildlife management plans for private landowners.
  • Conduct wildlife habitat management activities including prescribed burning and wetlands management.
19931994

Chief of Stewardship

Armand Bayou Nature Center
  • Planned and implemented natural resource and facilities management program at a 2,500 acre nature center and wildlife conservation area. Habitat types were coastal prairie and riparian forest.
  • Work was approximately 50% fieldwork (planning and implementing habitat management practices, invasive species management, overseeing cattle grazing lessee, monitoring), 50% administration and fundraising.
  • Developed all conservation plans and fish and wildlife restoration plans, securing funding for habitat enhancement projects, worked with corporations and regulatory agencies on mitigation project opportunities.
  • Planned and implemented controlled burning, rotational grazing, exotic species (plant and animal) control programsand established ecological monitoring protocols.
  • Directly responsible for developing plans, preparing grant applications, preparing research proposals and budget preparation, justification and management.
19911993

Wildlife Biologist II

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  • Responsible for implementing habitat management and public hunting programs on a 10,000 acre wildlife management area in Central Florida.
  • Habitats conserved included forests, shrublands and wetlands.
  • Implemented habitat management practices for game, non-game and federally listed species.
  • Responsible for planning and implementing all maintenance and development of infrastructure on assigned areas.

Education

1987Present

Bachelor of Science

Texas State University - San Marcos
1992Present

Master of Science

Texas A&M University

Selected Accomplishments

Awards, Certifications, Training, and Publications

Awards and Recognition

2006 Coda Fellowship - The Nature Conservancy (one of five globally)

2006 Team Innovation Award - "Recognizing our Own", The Nature Conservancy of Texas

2002 Leadership Award - "Recognizing our Own", The Nature Conservancy of Texas

2001 Innovation (nominated) - Employee Recognition Award, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

1998 Best Team - Employee Recognition Award, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

1986 Gamma Sigma Delta membership

Professional Certifications

Certified Prescribed Burner, Florida Division of Forestry, 1993

Certified Prescribed Burner, Texas Parks and Wildlife, 1996

National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Red Card - FFT1 

Job Related Training

Skilled in the use of land and wildlife management technologies such as geographic information systems and GPS units. Over 20 professional training courses including prescribed burning, wetlands and wetland management, wildlife diseases, leadership and employee management.  Complete list available on request.

Publications

Over 12 technical publications for a professional audience and more than 10 paid freelance articles for a more general landowner and wildlife enthusiast audience.  Complete list available on request.

References upon request