Melanie joined Coastkeeper in February 2023 as the Development Director. Her work focuses on grant writing, fundraising, donor stewardship and communications to support and grow Coastkeeper’s many programs.
Originally from Virginia, Melanie worked seasonal positions for the National Park Service in both Virginia and Florida, before environmental consulting on the BP Oil Spill Response in the Gulf of Mexico for 2.5 years. From there she made the switch to non-profits and worked for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on a Least Tern and Snowy Plover monitoring project in San Diego, followed by a 1.5 year stint on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, conducting sea turtle and primate conservation research, and then establishing a nature center and ecotourism program to provide alternative livelihoods to bushmeat hunting, and build capacity for a local village.
Before joining Coastkeeper, Melanie served as Executive Director at Seal Rescue Ireland for six years where she grew their platform and strengthened the organization’s ability to effectively rescue, rehabilitate, and protect marine mammals. She worked to broaden the scope of work to encompass proactive conservation programs, including water quality monitoring and habitat restoration, aimed at protecting the marine environment and all life within it. Melanie holds a B.S. from Virginia Tech in Environmental Science with a concentration in Aquatic Resources, and Minors in both Biology and Watershed Management.
Melanie is passionate about nature-based solutions as a holistic way to create a safe and healthy planet for all living things. She enjoys exploring San Diego’s trails and beaches with her partner Jesh, and their dog, Sadie.
You can reach Melanie at [email protected].