Staff and Partners
Staff
Simen Kaalstad, Director
Simen began working with the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership in 2023. He is a Texas native with 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. His previous work and graduate research focused on mangrove ecology and restoration with respect to climate change in areas such as The Bahamas, Mexico, and the northern Gulf of Mexico.
email: [email protected]
office: (703) 842 0743
Partners
ACFHP is a coast-wide partnership of fish habitat resource managers, scientists, and communications professionals from 38 different state, federal, tribal and non-governmental agencies who have established a commitment to work together for the benefit of aquatic resources.
View our current Memorandum of Understanding here. A list of partner contact information can be found here.
Partners agree to use their best efforts to take the following steps:
- To carry out their mutual intent to design and implement an ACFHP plan that will
address on-the-ground coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish habitat
resource needs throughout the Atlantic states. - To work together to facilitate current and future mutually agreed upon joint coastal,
estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish habitat resource activities for the benefit of
Atlantic fish habitat resources. - To use the resources of their agencies and organizations in a manner consistent with
their mission and the mission of ACFHP, that avoids duplication and that mutually
supports the efforts of other parties involved. - To collectively pursue funding initiatives to support the ACFHP through private,
corporate, state, and federal government, and any other means that may be available. - To collectively pursue interagency/organization agreements, cooperative agreements,
grants, and/or contracts to fund approved projects. - To encourage and support the participation of other appropriate agencies and
organizations by mutual agreement of the partners.
Committees
Steering Committee
The ACFHP Steering Committee is a self-directed group of individuals interested in achieving the Partnership’s vision. It is the decision-making body of ACFHP and provides oversight responsibility for all ACFHP activities.
Steering Committee Members
- Jessica Coakley, Chair, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, [email protected]
- Chris Moore, Vice-Chair, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, [email protected]
- Robert Atwood, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, [email protected]
- Russ Babb, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, [email protected]
- Jeff Beal, Ducks Unlimited, [email protected]
- Tripp Boltin, US Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4, [email protected]
- Mari-Beth DeLucia, The Nature Conservancy, [email protected]
- Pat Campfield, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, [email protected]
- Lou Chiarella, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [email protected]
- David Dippold, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, [email protected]
- Alexa Fournier, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, [email protected]
- Bob Groskin, Fly Fishers International, [email protected]
- Jimmy Johnson, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, [email protected]
- Zack Greenberg, The Pew Charitable Trusts, [email protected]
- Wilson Laney, North Carolina Coastal Federation, [email protected]
- Will Duncan, US Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5, [email protected]
- Paul Medders, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
- Mark Rousseau, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, [email protected]
- Eric Schneider, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, [email protected]
- Kent Smith, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, [email protected]
- Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers, [email protected]
- Marek Topolski, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
- Andrew Tweel, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
Science and Data Committee
The Science and Data Committee guides and carries out ACFHP’s Science and Data initiatives.
Science and Data Committee Members
- Marek Topolski, Chair, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
- Michelle Bachman, New England Fishery Management Council, [email protected]
- Colleen Brust, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, [email protected]
- Josh Carloni, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, [email protected]
- Jessica Coakley, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, [email protected]
- Cindy Cooksey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [email protected]
- Jared Flowers, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
- Danielle Kreeger, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, [email protected]
- Erik Martin, The Nature Conservancy, [email protected]
- Alek Modjeski, American Littoral Society, [email protected]
- Keith Nislow, US Forest Service, [email protected]
- Dave O’Brien, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [email protected]
- John Rothlisberger, US Forest Service, [email protected]
- Mark Rousseau, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, [email protected]
- Bruce Vogt, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [email protected]
- Bill Wayman, US Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
- John Young, US Geological Survey, [email protected]
Science and Data Committee Meetings
Outreach and Communications Committee
The Outreach and Communications Committee guides and carries out ACFHP’s Outreach and Communications initiatives.
Outreach and Communications Committee Members
- Tina Berger, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, [email protected]
- Allison Ferreira, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [email protected]
- Zack Greenberg, The Pew Charitable Trusts, [email protected]
- Bob Groskin, Committee member at-large, [email protected]
- Jen Lapis, US Fish and Wildlife Service, [email protected]
- Chris Powell, Rhode Island (retired), [email protected]
- Mary Sabo, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, [email protected]
- Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers, [email protected]
- Marek Topolski, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]