MEET OUR FISH HABITAT PARTNERSHIP COORDINATORS
Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative
Joan Drinkwin
Hello, My name is Joan Drinkwin and I have been coordinating the Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative since January 2024. I work for Natural Resources Consultants, who is under contract with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to support PLCI. I previously worked to develop and manage a comprehensive nearshore restoration program in northern Puget Sound. The Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative is a collaboration of Native American tribes, federal, state, municipal and local agencies, and non-governmental organizations working to achieve long-term persistence of Pacific Lamprey, their habitats, and support their traditional tribal use throughout their historical range spanning the West Coast of North America.
Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership
Joe Nohner
My name is Joe Nohner and I coordinate the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership as an employee of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. I completed my M.S. at the University of Michigan and my Ph.D. at Michigan State University. I worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Silver Spring, MD for two years conducting an estuarine habitat assessment for NFHP and working on a number of other habitat initiatives. I’ve focused my research and management efforts on conserving natural lake ecosystems, using fish habitat as a motivation for action. I find that working toward better fish populations and fishing opportunities for future generations can unite otherwise disjoint interests in a goal toward the common good.
Great Lakes Basin Partnership
Rick Westerhof
My name is Rick Westerhof and I am the coordinator for the Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership. I’ve worked for Idaho Fish and Game, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and am now employed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I am based in Michigan and coordinate the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act.
Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership
Melissa Smith
Hello, I am Melissa Smith, and I started as the new Coordinator for the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership in late November, 2022. I was born and raised in Alaska, and have always enjoyed the bounty of the State’s natural resources; from backpacking in the Kenai Mountains to filling her freezer with most pristine fish and game meat on the planet. I received my undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture
Lori Maloney
I’m Lori Maloney, the new coordinator for Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (2021), working with the Canaan Valley Institute. I have a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and an M.S. in Zoology with a focus on fisheries management from North Carolina State University. As someone who has made a career out of watershed science, conservation, and coordination, I understand that the most effective conservation actions are guided by data but driven by people and communities at the ground level. I look forward to working with individuals, resource managers, scientists, and organizations across the 17-state EBTJV range in a unified approach to keep wild brook trout on the map for future generations.
Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership
Todd Ewing
My name is Todd Ewing, and I joined the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) in 2022. I’m retired from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission where I served as an Assistant Chief of Fisheries and Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program Manager. I am currently contracted by the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to coordinate SARP. I have a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a M.S. in Biology from Appalachian State University. The National Fish Habitat Partnership allows me to work with partners and colleagues to protect and restore the diverse array of lentic, lotic, estuarine, and marine ecosystems found in the Southeast. This in turn conserves the unparalleled biodiversity and enhances the economically significant recreational and commercial fisheries of the Southeast.
Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership
Deborah Hart
My name is Deborah Hart and I am the coordinator for the Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership (SEAKFHP). I am a private contractor and currently serve in this capacity through a mixture of contracts to Trout Unlimited and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission who serve as fiscal sponsors to SEAKFHP. I am inspired by the foundational principals in the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. I believe in the vision of bringing together partners at the local level to reach across jurisdictional boundaries and leverage untapped resources to provide for greater protection and stewardship of our aquatic resources. I have lots of skin in the game as well, Alaska fishery resources support my family directly; we are a commercial fishing family and rely on healthy resilient fisheries for our livelihood, to support our kids through college, and sustain our bodies on a daily level (smoked sockeye is my favorite). My favorite part of supporting the National Fish Habitat Partnership is working collectively with others to share the Patnership vision and produce tangible positive outcomes for Alaska’s aquatic habitats.
Ohio River Basin Fish Habitat
Kevin Haupt
My name is Kevin Haupt and I am the coordinator for the Ohio River Basin Fish Habitat Partnership and I work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I graduated from Southeast Missouri State with a Masters in Biology. I have worked in the multiple states in the Midwest doing fish and wildlife management and research before working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job with the National Fish Habitat Partnership is working with local organizations and resources to develop and complete restoration and conservation in rural and urban areas while advancing techniques to accomplish this work with cost-effective outcomes.
Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership
Gordon Smith
My name is Gordon Smith and I am the coordinator for the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership. I am employed by the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office in Honolulu. I graduated from Oregon State University and went on to University of Hawaii for graduate school. I’ve worked on conservation of streams, estuaries, and coral reefs in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands for most of my career. The National Fish Habitat Partnership inspires me because it exists slightly on the outside of “normal” federal government work… my day-to-day activities are mostly with landowners, non-profits, and non-federal agencies. I enjoy working with a new group of cooperators each grant cycle. My favorite part of the Partnership is seeing on-the-ground conservation projects implemented!
Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership
Doug Nygren
My name is Doug Nygren and I am the coordinator for the Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership. I have a long history with NFHP as I am a founding member and chairperson of the RFHP, and I also served for three years on the NFHP Board, where I represented the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. I was the Fisheries Chief for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for twenty-six years. I have served as President of the Fisheries Administration Section of the American Fisheries Society and as chairperson of an inter-jurisdictional river resource organization called the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association. I look forward to being a part of the newly codified America’s Conservation Enhancement Act: National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships.
Desert Fish Habitat Partnership
Jennifer Graves
My name is Jennifer Graves and I joined the Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office as the DFHP coordinator after working for a year and a half in the Sacramento River basin with both the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Red Bluff Office and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. There I was involved in monitoring the four runs of Chinook salmon in response to restoration efforts. Prior to that, I received my MS in Biology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where I implemented a long-term monitoring project on the effects of interacting stressors on a population of brook trout. I gained additional native fish experience while working for Trout Unlimited out of Pennsylvania and while completing a senior thesis at Juniata College. I’m truly passionate about all native fish and I am beyond excited to be a part of desert fish conservation in the western U.S. I believe supporting NFHP is an exceptional opportunity for fish habitat conservation and collaboration to take center stage and I’m already amazed by what all the Partnerships have accomplished thus far.
Great Plains Fish Habitat Partnership
Steven Krentz
My name is Steven Krentz and I am employed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and help support the Great Plains Fish Habitat Partnership as their coordinator. What jazzes me about the National Fish Habitat Partnership is the potential exists to make a difference on the conservation of aquatic habitats. The Partnership is a collaborative approach to reverse recent trends of declining aquatic species. With the expansion of data sets to improve modeling that inform decisions, a regional and local-scaled approach to implementation of conservation; along with utilizing a strategic and collaborative approach to delivering conservation of habitats; improvements are happening in the effectiveness of delivering conservation for improving aquatic habitats for the benefit of fish, people, and communities.
California Fish Passage Forum
Holly Steindorf
My name is Holly Steindorf, and I am the coordinator for the California Fish Passage Forum starting in 2023. I have a BS in Biology with a conservation and biodiversity emphasis from Utah State University and an MS from Western Washington University. I am an employee of Natural Resource Consultants and work alongside current coordinators for PMEP and PLCI as supported by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. I am ecstatic to facilitate the work of the California Fish Passage Forum to identify, remediate, and restore connectivity to anadromous fish species across the large and ecologically critical geographic range of the Forum. I appreciate the collaborative and strategic structure of the Forum and NFHP, and the enthusiasm of our members and partner organizations for connecting project sponsors with funding sources, advancing understanding of fish-passage needs, and involving a greater diversity of partners and communities in connectivity of increasingly fragile anadromous fish species.
Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
Jessica Speed
My name is Jessica Speed, I’m employed by Trout Unlimited, and coordinate the Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership in Southcentral Alaska. I have a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a focus on Natural Resources Management. I grew up in British Columbia and have spent most of my adult life living and working in the north - Yukon Territory and Alaska. A favorite part of working with the Fish Habitat Partnerships is the ability to be connected to both people and place. Additionally, I love the broad range of activities I’m able to engage in - one day penning a letter to a City Mayor, the next sharing the story of Timmy Salmon to Kindergarten and 1st graders!
Pacific Marine Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership
Joan Drinkwin
My name is Joan Drinkwin and I have been coordinating the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership (PMEP) since 2018. I work for Natural Resources Consultants, who is under contract with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to support PMEP. I previously worked to develop and manage a comprehensive nearshore restoration program in northern Puget Sound. PMEP provides on-the-ground funding, convenes scientists and restoration practitioners, and serves as a hub of standardized baseline data for estuarine and nearshore marine fish habitats. I’m inspired by the amazing, passionate people involved in PMEP, who contribute their expertise and energy so willingly to improve fish habitat restoration throughout the U.S. West Coast.
Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership
Simen Kaalstad
My name is Simen Kaalstad, and I am originally from the Gulf Coast. My previous work and graduate research focused on mangrove ecology and restoration. I earned an M.S. in Fisheries and Mariculture from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in Marine and Freshwater Biology from The University of Texas.
Fishers and Farmers Partnership
Amy Smith and Heidi Keuler
Hello, I am Amy Smith, and I reside in Holmen, Wisconsin with my husband and three kids. As the Sustainability Director for Habitat for Humanity La Crosse, I oversee environmentally friendly home builds and pilot various sustainable projects throughout the community. I have been involved with FFP since 2014, and recently took on a co-coordinator role. Hello, I am Heidi Keuler and I have coordinated the Fishers & Farmers Partnership since 2010. I am a Fish Habitat Biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Midwest Fisheries Center in La Crosse, WI. I earned a BS in Biology and Wildlife Management from UW- Stevens Point and a MS in Aquatic Science from UW-LaCrosse. My husband and I raised three kids alongside farms on Big Creek, a trout stream-tributary of the La Crosse River just east of La Crosse, WI. Amy and I are inspired to use what is learned locally from farmers and conservationists to make a difference across a vast landscape with diverse partners.
Driftless Area Fish Habitat Partnership
Sara Strassman
Sara Strassman manages the Driftless Area Restoration Effort. She joined Trout Unlimited in 2022. Prior to that, she worked for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and American Rivers. She has 15 years of experience in project management, water & sediment monitoring, policy, and partnership development. She enjoys exploring the diverse landscapes of the Driftless and is looking forward to engaging new partners and communities in watershed and fisheries conservation.
Western Native Trout Initiative
JD Davis
My name is JD Davis, and I am the new coordinator for the Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI). I began in January 2024 with WNTI after over 30 years working in higher education and conservation. My most recent position was Chief Development Officer for Yellowstone Forever (YF), the official non-profit for Yellowstone National Park. During this time, YF raised funds to support wildlife conservation and priority Park projects. This included raising over $9 million to support Yellowstone Cutthroat trout populations in Yellowstone Lake and the Park’s northern range and projects to restore Westslope and Arctic Grayling in the Park’s central region. I also served on the Park’s Yellowstone Cutthroat Science Committee which oversaw the Park’s native fish recovery efforts. Prior to joining YF, I worked for the Nature Conservancy’s Montana chapter as the Development Director. I am based in Bozeman, Montana where I enjoy fly fishing throughout Montana and the west.