Welcome Aboard the 2019 Mentorship Program Co-Chairs!
Welcome Aboard the 2019 Mentorship Program Co-Chairs!
As new Program Co-Chairs, Monica Gregory and Katharine (KC) Stover worked with Rachel Jacobson at ASAP to set up the 2019 cohort for ASAP’s Mentorship Program. The new co-chairs both value increasing diversity in the adaptation field and hope to assist in expanding opportunities to underserved communities through this program.
KC Stover giving a presentation on her work.
KC Stover recently graduated from Scripps Institution of Oceanography with her master’s degree in climate science and policy. Her research focused on developing kelp as a potential blue carbon sink. Previously, she worked at Defenders of Wildlife on federal lands conservation and ran DC EcoWomen, an organization focused on capacity-building for women in the environmental field in the DC area. Prior to that, KC worked at an urban agriculture startup and the New England Aquarium on marine conservation projects. KC has an MBA focused in entrepreneurship and a B.A. in International Relations. Originally from the greater Boston area, KC now resides in Orange County, California.
Monica Gregory (middle) and community members working through a vulnerability mapping exercise with local government staff from Edenton, North Carolina.
Monica Gregory joined the Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience in June 2018. Her work focuses on vulnerability assessments, research and project coordination, and sea level rise initiatives in communities across Miami-Dade. Previously, she worked in the climate change and resilience sector for North Carolina’s Division of Coastal Management, for the National Park Service in South Carolina, and for a nonprofit in the Dominican Republic. Monica is originally from Indianapolis and received her MPA in environmental policy and natural resource management from Indiana University-Bloomington.
KC was interested in supporting ASAP as Co-Chair of the Mentorship Program because she feels strongly that mentorship is a great way to build lasting relationships across an emerging field. KC believes the impact of capacity building and mentor relationships are crucial in career development for professionals at all career levels. Monica was motivated to become Program Co-Chair to support mentorship within her community of practice. As a former AmeriCorps member who later managed an AmeriCorps program for young professionals, Monica recognizes the importance of great mentorship in creating professional and personal connections.
Monica and KC followed different career paths to work in the adaptation field, similar to other people’s experience across the field. And like many professionals in the adaptation field, their geographic experience is varied – between the two of them, they have lived on the East coast, in the Midwest, on the West coast, and in the Southeast! “We look forward to learning more about our members career paths and where they want to go next,” KC noted.
Given such diverse yet complementary skills and geography, we are grateful they have chosen to serve as our 2019 Mentorship Program Co-Chairs. Welcome aboard!