Letise LaFeir – Government Relations Manager and Education Coordinator

Letise is the Foundation’s Government Relations Manager and Coordinator of Education Programs. She comes to us from the Office of Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) where she served as a NOAA Sea Grant Fellow (2006). In that capacity, she acted as a full Legislative Assistant with a portfolio of policy issues that included: appropriations, oceans and fisheries, science and technology, animal welfare, Native American affairs, and other issues as needed. She had integral responsibilities for the functionality of the House Oceans Caucus, helped negotiate legislation in the 109th Congress, and drafted legislation that was introduced in the 110th Congress.

In addition to her legislative experience, Letise has been active in both the scientific and education communities. She served on both the Executive Board and Policy Committee of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, having a direct role in the society’s activities, including its involvement in the policy arena. She was also the Shipboard Education Coordinator for the “Extreme 2003—To the Depths of Discovery” deep-sea research cruise where she transmitted details of the research being conducted onboard to school students and the general public via the internet, making the information understandable and accessible to a wide audience.

A Chicago native, Letise received her PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Delaware—Graduate College of Marine Studies and bachelor’s degrees in Aquatic Biology and English from Brown University.