The Coastal Society's Coastal Careers Workshop for 2026 Knauss Fellows

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About this Event

Join us for an in-person Coastal Careers Workshop by The Coastal Society (TCS), hosted by NOAA's National Sea Grant Office to kickstart your 2026 Knauss Fellowship professional development!

TCS's Coastal Careers Workshop is the place to be for aspiring coastal science and policy professionals! Join us at NOAA offices in Silver Spring, MD Wilmington, for a half-day, in-person event filled with networking, informative talks, and career advice from experts in the field. Whether you're fresh out of grad school, finishing up your doctoral dissertation, or have several years of professional experience before becoming a Knauss Fellow, this workshop is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from professionals in your field. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to take your coastal career to the next level!

This workshop will not touch on basic skills offered by other entities such as general resume editing and interview preparation. Rather, attendees will benefit from a) learning about career paths not always broadcast by institutions of higher learning or colleagues, b) hearing speakers from a wide range of environmental fields share their personal career journeys, and c) engaging speakers in small groups to discuss specific skills. Past workshops have featured talks on navigating USAJobs.gov, marketing yourself, effective networking that truly sets you up to land your desired job, and much more. This time, the workshop will feature a blend of speakers from both the public and private sector to ensure you're aware of the many opportunities inside AND outside the Federal government to do great environmental work.

All of our speakers are not only dedicated to their professional practice, but are eager to give back to the next class of coastal and environmental professionals. There will be ample opportunities to network with speakers and your fellow attendees and to learn more about what TCS can do for you throughout your career.

Tickets are available for $40.00 ($44.52 including Eventbrite fee & MD sales tax) and light refreshments will be provided by NOAA beginning at 12:30pm in Room 4527 of NOAA Building #3 (The Hand Building). Even though you'll have your NOAA employee ID badges, please allow for the usual time to go through security at lunchtime. Public parking is available at 1273 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

For more information on TCS and our coastal career development program, please visit https://thecoastalsociety.org/ and click on the Margaret A. Davidson Coastal Career Development Program tab. And don't hesitate to reach out to TCS MAD Program Coordinator Jeff Flood directly at [email protected]. Jeff is also a Senior Coastal Planner (II) with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, but as a past attendee of TCS career workshops before landing his current position, he greatly benefited from them and is eager to help others succeed in their career journeys!

Attendees listed to a speaker panel at the September 20, 2025 TCS workshop hosted by the University of Rhode Island (URI).

Breakout session at the October 23, 2025 TCS workshop hosted by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).

Thank you to our NOAA/Sea Grant partners & hosts!

Agenda

🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:10 PM
Welcome, Workshop Overview, & Margaret A. Davidson's Legacy
🕑: 01:10 PM - 01:35 PM
Lightning Round #1

Info: Each of the following speakers will provide a 5-min overview introduction of themself, their organization, & their specific topic: ● Dr. Natalie Snider, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources - Resilience Planning in State Govt
● Curtis Bennett, National Aquarium - Community Engagement, Education, & Outreach
● Michelle Burt, Ocean Conservancy - Resilience & Career Flexibility

🕑: 01:35 PM - 01:45 PM
Break & Transition to Breakout Session #1
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:50 PM
Breakout Session #1

Info: Each speaker from Lightning Round #1 will rotate through three (3) groups of attendees for 15 min each to engage in more informal discussions about their careers, current opportunities w/ their organizations, and/or present on more specific topics.

🕑: 02:50 PM - 03:05 PM
Break

Info: Networking Break & Buffer for Breakout Session #1 discussions.

🕑: 03:05 PM - 03:40 PM
Lightning Round #2

Info: Each of the following speakers will provide a 5-min overview introduction of themself, their organization, & their specific topic: ● Gina Mason, NOAA - USAJobs 101
● Dr. Bryan Oles, ERT - Federal Contracting
● Emily Patrolia, ESP Advisors - Consulting on Capitol Hill

🕑: 03:40 PM - 04:45 PM
Breakout Session #2

Info: Each speaker from Lightning Round #2 will rotate through three (3) groups of attendees for 15 min each to engage in more informal discussions about their careers, current opportunities w/ their organizations, and/or present on more specific topics.

🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Remarks
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Adjourn