“Carolyn had the responsibility to set up a new office and program in California for the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) and did an outstanding job, taking initiative to develop key partnerships, organize strategic events and formulate a plan to address key issues of relevance to the state. Her work was nothing short of amazing. Her excellent people skills, strategic thinking, writing and speaking abilities, organizational and management savvy were much in evidence. Her success in setting up a new regionally focused program led directly to policy actions in the state and to the creation of regionally focused programs around the country. Most recently, through her work with NOAA, Carolyn has emerged as a leader in ocean and public health issues .”

Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., Professor, Oregon State University. Former Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator. Former President of American Association for the Advancement of Science. Pew Oceans and Joint Oceans Initiative Commissioner. Founder of COMPASS.

“The strength of Carolyn’s expertise, passion, drive, and dedication to doing the very best even when resources were extremely limited, immensely enriched NOAA Oceans and Human Health Initiative (OHHI) and contributed to its numerous successes. She was the primary lead for all outreach and key staff person for the high level Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia and Human Health, where she was a significant contributor to its overall strategic planning, implementation and required federal reports. With respect to the OHHI, I know no other program of similar size in NOAA, that has been as successful in getting representatives into scientific conferences and on podiums at high profile meetings – much of the credit for these accomplishments belongs to Carolyn. Simply put, she made invaluable contributions to the OHHI, without which, it could not have achieved the levels of success and recognition that is has.”

Paul Sandifer, Ph.D. Former Senior Science Advisor to the NOAA Administrator and Chief Science Advisor for NOAA’s National Ocean Service. Former Director of South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy member.