[Coral-List] Susan White selected as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Co-Manager of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Andrew_Gude at fws.gov
Andrew_Gude at fws.gov
Thu May 24 14:20:50 EDT 2007
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Selects Co-Manager
of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the selection of Susan
White as the new co-manager of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National
Monument. Mrs. White will share management duties with other co-managers
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of
Hawai‘i.
"Susan's great experience in marine conservation issues and her varied
experience with the Service will ensure that she will be an excellent
addition to the Monument management team," said Ren Lohoefener, director
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Region.
As the new co-manager for the Service, White will work closely with the
other Monument co-trustees to develop policy, implement regulations, and
coordinate technical activities related to Service programs. She will be
responsible for planning, leading, and administering two National Wildlife
Refuges as part of the Monument operation with international, national,
and local management plans, policies, and prescribed objectives.
Mrs. White was born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in suburban Detroit. She
has earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in marine biology and earth
science with a concentration in oceanography from Central Michigan
University. She also holds a teaching certificate in secondary education,
and has completed coursework toward her masters in public administration
from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Mrs. White’s early work began as a secondary science teacher in Michigan
before entering the realm of conservation work. In 1989, she began work as
the manager of the Saba Marine Park located in the Dutch West Indies.
After 5 years at Saba, she moved on to becoming a public affairs
specialist for various organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, the
Center for Marine Conservation, and the World Wildlife Fund. In this
position, she developed and implemented public advocacy and outreach
programs for enhanced marine protection.
In 1997, she began her career with the Fish and Wildlife Service as the
marine biologist for the National Key Deer Refuge in Florida. After 3
years she moved on to become the national coral reef and marine resources
coordinator in Arlington, Virginia, where she played a key role with the
Service and the Department of the Interior in the implementation of
Executive orders on coral reef protection and marine protected areas. She
also served as the Interior staff contact to the National Commission on
Ocean Policy.
Since 2002, Mrs. White has served as the deputy project leader for J.N.
“Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida, and later as
the deputy refuge supervisor for 28 Florida refuges.
“I am thrilled to accept this responsibility at the Monument, and my
family and I look forward to becoming part of the Hawaiian community,”
said Susan White. “Being part of this unique collaboration is exciting;
and I am humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to help conserve
this exceptional piece of the world with our State, NOAA, Native Hawaiian,
and community partners.”
Mrs. White is expected to begin work in July. She will be accompanied by
her husband David and her 12-year old son Ben, along with several dogs and
a cat.
On June 15, 2006, President Bush signed a proclamation creating the P
apahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. It is the single largest
conservation area under U.S. jurisdiction, and the largest marine
conservation area in the world. It encompasses 137,792 square miles of the
Pacific Ocean – an area larger than all the country's national parks
combined – and is home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which
are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of
small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69
national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws,
administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and
restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native
American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also
oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of
millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to
state fish and wildlife agencies.
____________________________________________________________
Andrew_Gude at fws.gov
National Wildlife Refuge System Marine Program
Office 703.358.2415; Cell 703.622.3896
More information about the Coral-List
mailing list