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Russ Beard has been leading the NOAA RESTORE Science Program since April 2013. Mr. Beard has now been asked and agreed to serve as the interim science coordinator for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, a position which necessitates that he no longer serve as the acting Director for the science program.
Dr. Becky Allee has been selected and has agreed to serve as the new acting Director for the program. Dr. Allee has been with the program since its beginning and has done tremendous work leading the program’s science working group in its development of the science plan for the program.
Frank Parker has also been selected to serve as the Associate Director for the program effective October 6, 2014. As the Associate Director, Mr. Parker will manage coordination, planning and implementation efforts for the program and ensure program findings and tools are used to support long-term sustainability and restoration of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Mr. Parker will be located in Silver Spring, Maryland in the offices of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science where he will lead the integration of the program with other NOAA programs and initiatives. Mr. Parker has a thorough and diverse understanding of NOAA science policy and coordination. He comes to the NOAA RESTORE Science Program from his role as NOAA’s National Coordinator for Regional Collaboration. Mr. Parker’s prior experience includes work as an estuarine ecologist exploring interactions between water quality, primary and secondary production, benthic biological processes, and estuarine nitrogen and carbon cycling.