Board of Directors

Dr. Sharon Kramer, PhD

Secretary

Sharon@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Sharon is a Principal at H.T. Harvey & Associates where she leads their fish ecology division and North Coast office in Arcata, CA. Sharon’s expertise spans over 25 years and her recent professional research and work has focused on integrating watershed and coastal processes and the freshwater, estuarine, and coastal ecology of fishes. Sharon was an active Humboldt Bay Initiative Core Team member during the development of their strategic plan and one of the founding CEINC board members.

Jeff Anderson

Jeff@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Jeff Anderson, Northern Hydrology & Engineering, is a civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience, including 20 years of experience as an independent consultant . His consulting experience includes hydrology, river, lake, and estuary hydraulics/hydrodynamics, water quality and sediment transport modeling, assessing the effects of sea level rise and climate change on water resources, stream and wetland restoration, watershed hydrology and water quality, surface water quality studies, watershed management, urban stormwater technologies, onsite and small community wastewater systems, and wetland treatment systems. Mr. Anderson has applied and/or developed 1-D and multi-dimensional models for hydrologic, hydraulic/hydrodynamic, and water quality studies of rivers, estuaries, lakes, and watersheds and has designed numerous channel restoration projects. He has worked on hydrologic, hydraulic, sediment TMDL, and sediment transport issues. His experience includes serving as project or principal engineer on projects for the City of Arcata, Oregon Trout, EPA, the Nature Conservancy, and the Bureau of Reclamation as well as serving as part-time faculty of Humboldt State University’s Department of Environmental Resource Engineering.

Whelan Gilkerson

President

Whelan@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Whelan is the current president of CEINC. Whelan has been involved with the Humboldt Bay Initiative since 2009 and joined the CEINC Board of Directors in 2017. He is a landscape ecologist and GIS analyst/modeler with 13 years of professional experience involving marine, estuarine, and watershed resource management issues in coastal northern California. Whelan holds degrees in Ecology and Natural Resources Planning and currently works as a Senior Biologist for Merkel and Associates, Inc. He has worked with a broad range of entities in addressing eelgrass resource management and conservation issues and has been involved in supporting sea level rise (SLR) effects assessments for eelgrass ecosystems along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja California. In his free time, Whelan enjoys biking, hiking, kayaking, gardening and spending time with his family in the Humboldt Bay area.

Marissa Adams

Treasurer, Administrator

Marissa@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Marissa joined the CEINC Board of Directors in 2019. Marissa is an environmental specialist with over 15 years of experience in the field of water resources and environmental planning. She specializes in watershed conservation, regional environmental planning, environmental communication, and public involvement and participation. Her previous experience includes work for the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, Association of Bay Area Governments, and various private consulting firms. Marissa is a hydrophite who thrives on making environmental processes and information more understandable and approachable in order to get back to the core intent of our environmental laws and regulations. In addition to serving as Treasurer, Marissa provides strategic guidance and administrative and program support to CEINC.

Jen Kalt

Jen@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Jennifer Kalt joined the CEINC Board of Directors in 2022. Jen is a botanist with more than 20 years of conservation and advocacy work on the North Coast. She is the Executive Director of Humboldt Baykeeper, a non-profit organization that works to protect water quality and habitat in the Humboldt Bay area. She launched the Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative in 2011, led studies on mercury levels in local fish and shellfish, and is currently working to prioritize contaminated sites most vulnerable to rising sea level and groundwater. She is also a lecturer in environmental planning for Cal Poly Humboldt's Department of Environmental Science & Management. Jen earned an MA in Biology and a BS in Botany with a minor in Anthropology from Humboldt State University.

Kristen Orth-Gordinier

Kristen@CoastalEcosystemsInstitute.org

Kristen Orth Gardiner joined the CEINC Board of Directors in 2022. Kristen has been an environmental consultant on Humboldt Bay since 2015 and is currently an Environmental Planner with GHD. Her professional experience has focused on project development, planning, design, community engagement, and grant writing for projects involving habitat restoration and enhancement, trail planning, park improvements, and urban development. Her interests include coastal resilience and adaptation, sea level rise planning, social science, and community capacity building. With a big picture view and an eye for detail, Kristen enjoys supporting collaborative projects that provide multiple benefits for the environment and community. Kristen has a B.S. in Environmental Biology and Zoology and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Management from Cal Poly Humboldt.