Our Staff

Joel R. Johnson is an award-winning, executive conservation leader who was most recently Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation working on the global biodiversity extinction crisis and promoting the hopeful solution of Half-Earth. He was previously a co-founder in Admirable Devil from 2016 – 2020, an award-winning marketing firm based in Washington, DC with clients including Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, The Orvis Company, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company among others. 

Joel was Chief Marketing Officer at the nation’s largest and oldest coldwater conservation organization, Trout Unlimited from 2014 – 2016 and Senior Vice President of Strategy at GMMB, the preeminent advocacy and public affairs firm.  He has led brand strategy at advertising agencies in Chicago, New York, and London, including Spike Lee’s ad agency, Spike DDB, where he created iconic campaigns for the NBA, Pepsi, and MLB. 

He lives outside Washington, DC, is a married father, has fly-fished over 50 of America’s rivers, and has been his family’s historian for nearly 20 years. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and Swarthmore College. 

Allison Alexander joined the Foundation in 2007 and works to ensure the Foundation maintains its values and fulfills its mission. She is the primary liaison for the Foundation’s federal financial assistance awards, and provides oversight of externally funded grant programs. She has more than fifteen years of experience in fundraising, public relations, and non-profit management.

A native of coastal Georgia, Allison received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Shannon Colbert has an interdisciplinary background with experience in policy, conservation, and economics. Prior to joining the Foundation in November 2013 as the Policy and Conservation Manager, Shannon served as a Communications Specialist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) focusing on the agency’s efforts to assess injuries to natural resources and to restore the environment following oil spills, hazardous waste releases, and ship groundings. She has also worked in a U.S. Congressional Office, the California Natural Resources Agency, Georgia Sea Grant, and the non-profit organization, San Diego Coastkeeper. Shannon received her Master’s degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California, San Diego and her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of Georgia

Veronica joined the Foundation in February 2021 as the Director of Finance. Veronica is a certified association executive with extensive experience serving in various capacities in the not-for-profit world. She ensures integrity of the financial information customarily accepted in the 501(c)(3) environment. She partners closely with the leadership team and will lead all initiatives to strengthen, rebuild and expand the association’s financial resources to ensure continued vitality and growth.

Prior to joining the Foundation, she held the position of Director of Finance at the Consortium of Catholic Academies, where she led the restructure, rebranding, and strategic planning for operations in the organization’s finance and human resources (HR). Veronica has devoted over 20 years serving in the not-for-profit sector, where she has gained an expansive knowledge in accounting, finance, HR, IT, endowments, and grants management.  She also gives back to the not-for-profit sector by facilitating sessions and trainings during national association meetings and events. She is also a new Board Member of The Arc – Prince George’s County.

Outside of the Foundation, Veronica enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, attending her children’s many sporting events, and planning her family’s next outdoor adventure. One of her family’s favorite past time is biking around Mackinac Island, northern Michigan, which is situated in Lake Huron.

Carol King joined the Foundation in 2017 as Director of Development, overseeing all aspects of the Foundation’s fundraising program, including corporate philanthropy and individual giving. In her current role as Chief of Staff, she remains focused on growing the organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission and strategic goals. Prior to joining the Foundation, Carol served as the Director of Community Philanthropy at the Humane Rescue Alliance, and she continues her work on behalf of animals as a board member of Thoroughbred Placement Resources. She is a passionate advocate for the role that all communities can play in creating opportunities and improving our world. Carol is credentialed as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and is an alumnus of American University.

Chip Weiskotten is Director of Strategic Communications at the Foundation, where he oversees all facets of the Foundation’s messaging and outreach operations. He develops and implements communication strategies to promote and support the Foundation’s ocean and Great Lakes conservation work in traditional and digital media. This includes social media, public relations, promotions and marketing, corporate partnership communications, brand management, internal communications and whatever mini-crisis pops up that day.

Previously, Chip worked in communications at the Wildlife Conservation Society, where he advocated for a range of wildlife conservation issues as they intersect with U.S. government funding and policy interests. Working closely with field scientists, policymakers and journalists, Chip led campaigns to conserve elephants and other frequently trafficked wildlife, as well as efforts to restore bison to the American plains.

Before that, he handled communications for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and worked as a field organizer on a Congressional campaign. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Analysis & Policy and a Master’s degree in Energy & Environmental Analysis from Boston University. Chip lives in Washington, DC and enjoys photography, hiking, maps, and spending time with his three kids.

Tj was recently directed the Mid-Atlantic Blue Tech Cluster committed to the development of Blue Economy businesses to advance innovative, Blue Tech climate focused solutions while promoting sustainable, equitable, and economic growth.  The goal is to foster knowledge sharing, impactful connections, and collaboration in the areas of research, innovation, commercialization, policy, and workforce development within the Blue Economy.

Tj began her career in fisheries working at Hubbs Research Institute while pursuing her Master of Marine Science at the University San Diego. She was the Executive Director of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholder’s Alliance which created the first brand of responsibly harvested and traceable wild caught fish from the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Wild, working to ensure people from all walks of life had equitable access to this new category of seafood.  Her recent role as the Director of Seafood Sustainability at the National Aquarium, involved creating a National Consumer Awareness Campaign stimulating consumer demand for responsible Aquaculture (farmed seafood).  From connecting sustainable commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico with conscious consumers to connecting food deserts in Baltimore with sustainable Aquaculture, Tj has 25 years of experience connecting environmental and social sustainability with economic opportunity.

Tj is a Seaweb Seafood Summit Visionary Awardee, a member of the White House Task Force for Sustainable Seafood focused on the future of Aquaculture, a Fish 2.0 Impact Advisor, serves on the Steering Committee for the Coalition for U.S. Seafood Production, a Fellow in the Seafood & Oceans Leadership Institute and holds several other board and committee duties.

When not focused on helping communities and our planet, she can be found with her amazing daughter, Bella, her adrenaline-junkie partner, Baron and their three furry rescues.

Hallie Segerman is originally from Virginia Beach, VA but has lived in the DC area for the past few decades.  She joined the Foundation in January 2022 as a Human Resources Generalist.  Prior to joining the Foundation,  she served in an HR capacity at a variety of organizations, including a public accounting firm, an ambulatory surgery center, and two non-profit associations.  She earned a B.S. in Psychology at Union College, and an M.A. in Human Resources Management at George Washington University.

Erin joined the Foundation in 2022 as the Program Operations Manager for the conservation, restoration, science, and technology mission areas. She grew up Tarpon Springs, Florida and received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Florida. Erin recently received her master’s degree in Global Sustainability with a concentration in Sustainable Tourism from the University of South Florida’s Patel College of Global Sustainability where her research explored scuba diving in marine protected areas and diver perceptions of sustainability in the dive industry.

Erin is a master scuba diver and certified yoga instructor. She enjoys adventures with her family, traveling, hiking, paddleboarding, boating, and of course scuba diving!

Lynn Wisniewski has over 30 years of accounting and related experience. Prior to joining the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Lynn worked for a variety of industries including construction, marketing, technology, and government. Lynn grew up in the Washington DC area and is thrilled to be working for a company with a mission that she can be proud of.

Megan Fraser joined the Foundation in November 2020 as part of a joint partnership between the Foundation, NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and United Way of Collier County and the Keys, to partake in Mission: Iconic Reef’s initiative to restore the Keys reef tract. Megan’s marine background is multidisciplinary in both education and experience–with research in marine diseases, genomics, and human dimensions of subsistence coastal communities, as well as established experience in the more social sciences of communications and outreach, public speaking, and project management. The Iconic Reefs initiative essentially marries these varied disciplines, enabling the most robust approach toward collective, well-researched, and sustainable reef restoration. Megan’s personal motto of ‘happy heart, happy mind, hard work,’ continues to provide the drive to seek approaches to conservation work that are evermore innovative, engaging, and forward-thinking. Prior to joining the Foundation, Megan worked in several marine environmental consultancies and volunteered in various reef restoration conferences, initiatives, and working groups. She continues active involvement in the Coral Restoration Consortium’s working groups and is a feature author for ECO Magazine.

Megan received her B.S. in Marine Science and Biology–with additional minors in Spanish and Chemistry–from the University of Miami RSMAS, during which time she also lived abroad studying the Galapagos Islands’ marine ecosystems. She then obtained a MSc in Marine Biology and Ecology from James Cook University in Australia, where she had a particular focus in applied sciences through marine management and consultancy work. At the Foundation, Megan works closely with the Policy and Conservation Director to collaboratively work towards achieving Iconic Reefs’ goals.

As Gear Innovations Manager, Greg oversees a collaborative project to test and evaluate fishing gear to mitigate marine life entanglements in collaboration with Dungeness crab fishermen, state and federal resource agencies and other partners in California.

Greg has more than 15 years of experience supporting fisheries management and conservation initiatives, working with diverse stakeholders including fishermen, state and federal managers, non-government organizations, scientists and the concerned public. His experience includes coordinating strategic outreach and policy campaigns to advance ecosystem-based fisheries management in New England, supporting stakeholder-centered approaches to fisheries management in southern California, and working with small-scale fishermen to create community managed marine areas in Mozambique.

Greg also has experience working on commercial fishing boats as a fisheries observer in California and Alaska and served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, working on community-based coastal resources management. He holds a master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from Sheldon Jackson College in Alaska.

As the Foundation’s Communications Manager, Tess plays a key role in executing the Foundation’s messaging and outreach, with an emphasis on social media and digital presence, and supports the Director of Strategic Communications. Before joining the Foundation, she was the Programme Manager for the Sargasso Sea Commission through The Ocean Foundation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Her previous experience also includes working with Virginia Sea Grant and the Virginia Coastal Policy Center as a correspondent, and with an environmental consulting firm specializing in science communication.

Tess graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in English and minor in Marine Science through the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She also participated in a field research course through the Bangor University School of Ocean Sciences in Wales.

Laurie VanBenschoten joined the Foundation in June 2021. Growing up, she spent her summers on the shores of Cape Cod where she developed a love for the ocean. Laurie is SCUBA certified and loves spending time in, on, and around any body of water she can find.

In her capacity as Development Manager, she supports the Foundation’s fundraising efforts through the administration and development of the Foundation’s Salesforce NPSP CRM and related systems. She is also responsible for managing partnerships, sponsorships, and incoming donations, and providing fundraising support to sanctuary sites and Foundation chapters.

Laurie is an alumna of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY where she was captain of the William Smith Rowing team and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in both Sociology and French & Francophone Studies.

Abby Rodgers joined the Foundation in November 2021 as the Capitol Hill Ocean Week Manager. She has an interdisciplinary background with experience in law, policy, and marine science. Prior to joining the Foundation, Abby graduated from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law with a concentration in Environmental Law. During her third year of law school, she was a student attorney with the Maryland Environmental Law Clinic working on Environmental Justice issues. She previously held internships at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in the Fisheries & Boating Division, and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

Prior to law school Abby worked at Concourse Federal Group as a Program Analyst working on an Environmental Impact Statement for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She received a B.A. in Ocean Studies and Marine Affairs–with additional minors in Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies–from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. While in undergrad she interned with Friends of Casco Bay, a Baykeeper organization.

Abby is a native of Maryland and in her spare time she enjoys trying new recipes, reading, and rock climbing.

Michaela Miller joined the Foundation in December 2021 as the Conservation Manager. She has a background in environmental science with experience in coastal and marine science and resource management. Prior to joining the Foundation, Michaela worked as a researcher studying regional sediment management practices and coastal erosion in Southern California for the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON). She was also the 2020 California Seagrant Fellow for the California Ocean Protection Council’s Climate Change Program where she worked on a variety of pressing coastal and marine issues in California. She also managed a marine debris removal and monitoring program on the Channel Islands with the Santa Rosa Island Research Station and has worked extensively on the Channel Islands. Michaela earned a MS in Applied Marine and Watershed Science from California State University Monterey Bay and a BS in Environmental Science from California State University Channel Islands. Michaela lives in Ventura, California with her dog Mav.

Jenny Larsen joined the Foundation in December 2021 as the Policy Manager. Growing up in South Florida and California, the ocean has always felt like home for her.

An attorney, Jenny has a background in law and policy. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a senior associate at Strategies 360 where she worked on a variety of policy issues including ocean policy.

During her time in law school Jenny worked in the Senate as a law clerk and in the House of Representatives as a legislative intern. She also held an internship as a law clerk at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, a non-profit focused on mental health law and criminal justice reform.

Jenny earned a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BS from the University of Utah. She enjoys traveling and has a goal to visit all 63 National Parks.

Justin will be leading coordination and implementation of the Foundation’s marine debris removal projects across five sanctuaries where large marine debris including abandoned and derelict vessels, derelict fishing gear, and a plane will be extracted and disposed. Prior to joining the Foundation, Justin spent more than a dozen years working in global seafood supply chains helping a variety of stakeholders at national and international levels understand the negative environmental and social risks their seafood sourcing may have and what options they can pursue to drive positive impacts forward. This work included creating a business membership program for FishChoice which resulted in onboarding more than 600 businesses and implementing a paid participation model for the Ocean Disclosure Project. Justin’s work has been recognized through being named a Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions Fellow, as well as serving on Boards for Food Alliance and Chef’s Collaborative. Justin holds a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington and a BS in Marketing from the University of Utah. Justin lives in Olympia, WA with his family, and his happy places are fishing in rivers, paddling on the sea, and skiing in the mountains.

Lisa Henschel holds a B.A. in Economics from Dickinson College.  After a career in investment sales and asset management with Nuveen and Ferris, Baker Watts, she left the business world to pursue other interests and to focus on her family, volunteer opportunities, charitable fundraising and writing. Lisa served as co-chair for the 2019 and 2020 Ocean Awards Gala and served as the Gala’s chair in 2021. Lisa is the mother of two children and lives in Potomac, Maryland with her husband John, her children and a rescue Beagador named Miley.

Originally from New Jersey, JD has been obsessed with the ocean for as long as he can remember. He spent his childhood commandeering family vacations to ensure that they were somehow tied back to marine life. During his time as a Marine Science and Aquaculture/Aquarium Science student at the University of New England, he stumbled upon a coral biology course that included a trip to Belize. During his time in the waters of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS), he not only discovered his true passion in life but also realized his need for a SCUBA certification. After a short surface interval, he found himself traveling back to the MBRS to work remotely within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and collect data on the untouched reefs found off of its coastline.

It was during his time in Mexico that he discovered the endless amounts of threats reef systems face and the need for community engagement, which sparked his interest to dive deeper into the field of coral restoration. Throughout his career as a coral reef biologist, JD has worked extensively around the globe: co-founding a coral restoration nonprofit (Marine Conservation Costa Rica) in Quepos, Costa Rica, managing the intern/volunteer programs at the Coral Restoration Foundation, and facilitating various forms of marine research at the Keys Marine Laboratory. JD is thrilled to be a part of the National Marine Sanctuary where he will oversee the Mission Icon Reef Guardians Program, empowering members of the Florida Keys community to take part in reef restoration efforts whilst subsequently creating stewards for these vital ecosystems.”

Cortney joined the Foundation in March 2023 after 5 years of working in the dive industry in the Florida Keys. Her work focused heavily on promoting conservation initiatives through hands-on experiences for the local community. These community projects included monthly marine debris removal efforts, monthly coral outplanting events, annual wetsuit recycling events, sea turtle rescues and many more. 

Cortney received an MS in Conservation Biology from Green Mountain College where she focused her studies on the conservation of Florida marine animals and habitats. She attributes her specific love for the Florida Keys Reefs to the amazing community of conservationists that call the Keys home. She is thrilled to work with this amazing group of people and help to create more passionate guardians of the ocean, allowing the beautiful Florida Keys ecosystem to be enjoyed by generations to come.

Maddy Jimenez-Andersen joined the Foundation in May 2023 as the Multimedia Communications Coordinator and is responsible for supporting the communications team, with an emphasis on visual media and digital communications. Previously, Maddy was an Industry and Innovations Fellow at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an Education and Science Communication Explorer-in-Training at NOAA, and a videography intern at the Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Additionally, Maddy has experience in website development, digital media, and video production and has published content for multiple brands and organizations.

Maddy earned her B.S. and M.S. in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, specializing in coral reef and kelp forest conservation. She found her love for science communication, outreach, and digital media through the interdisciplinary nature of academia and as a part of Scripps’s Marine Biodiversity and Conservation team.

Maddy lives on her sailboat in her hometown of San Diego and is an avid surfer, diver, and sailor. Her favorite place engage in all these activities is the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Her goal is to utilize the power of media and visual storytelling to communicate science and conservation efforts across our ocean and Great Lakes.

Brittany joined the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in April 2022 as the Program Operations Coordinator. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA where she currently lives. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member during which time her primary goal was to support economic growth and engagement in her community.

Brittany has spent much of the last few years traveling around the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Through these adventures, she has discovered a lot about her interests and passions, which include ocean conservation, outdoor recreation, and cultural preservation. She has loved going to the ocean and being in the water since she was a kid on vacation with her family in Hilton Head Island. In 2020, she completed her Divemaster certification in Koh Tao, Thailand and now works as a Divemaster in Erie, PA.

When she’s not working, traveling, or scuba diving, you can find Brittany surfing, snowboarding, cooking, or listening to jazz with a glass of wine in hand.

Kaiya McGhaw joined the Foundation in August 2023 as a Program Operations Coordinator with the Marine Debris Program. Although she was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and lived in Montgomery County, MD as a child, she relocated to Madison, Alabama nearly 15 years ago with her family where she currently resides. 

Kaiya earned her BS in Marine Biology from Auburn University. While pursuing her bachelors, she interned with the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network where she participated in research, recovery and necropsy of stranded dolphins and manatees off the coast of Alabama. To broaden her experience and understanding of fundamental environmental regulations, the public policy process, and science communication strategies, Kaiya pursued her MS in Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the College of Charleston. Participating in an interdisciplinary masters program allowed her to view the issues impacting marine and environmental conservation from a more holistic perspective that considers human motivators, scientific factors, economic impacts, and politics. Kaiya is passionate about investigating the economic, cultural, and political hindrances impacting marine conservation and finding holistic, innovative solutions to these problems.

In her spare time, you can find Kaiya reading a murder mystery book, attending a pottery class or searching for new exotic, non-native fruits to try.    

Prior to joining the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, I held the position of Account Receivables/Tuition collection at the Consortium of Catholic Academies, where I managed enrollment, Tuition accounts collection for four Catholic Schools in the District of Columbia, worked with the organization’s finance team department receiving and distributing grants, also work closely with a government agency that provide scholarship funding for low-income families to ensure accuracy of scholarships payment. I have worked in the non-profit sector seven years under the finance department, previously to working in the accounting sector I worked in hospitality industry where I achieve my Executive Chef Title while working as a chef, In the culinary industry in this field is where I gained knowledge in budgets, and financials management.

Outside of the work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and three children doing outdoor activities such as gardening, making flower arrangements, my most favorite thing to do is travel with the family and friends.