Role Summary for the National Coordinating Office Staff

Role Summary for the National Coordinating Office Staff

This document is intended to provide a summary of each staff member’s current area of responsibility for our Advisory Committee. We typically also employee 1-2 University of Arizona students on 1-2 year time frames in support of a number of our activities; we have not included student job descriptions here. Note that all staff write reports/articles, contribute to proposals and give public presentations/media interviews as appropriate.

We have organized our efforts into teams, with senior staff leads. Senior staff supervise employees and contractors, and set programmatic goals and evaluate progress, and ensure integration of effort across teams.

·  Carrie leads the Science Team, supported by Kathy.

·  Ellen leads the Monitoring Design Team, supported by Patty.

·  Theresa leads the Outreach Team, supported by Erin.

·  LoriAnne leads the Education Team.

·  Alyssa leads the IT Team, supported by Lee, Doug and Sara (as Assistant Director, Alyssa also supervises Sharon).

Person: Jake Weltzin, Ph.D.

Role: Executive Director

FTE: 1.0

Funded by: US Geological Survey

·  Strategic and tactical planning to meet mission and objectives; ensure consistent and timely progress towards goals

·  Publicize the activities, successes and goals of the USA-NPN

·  Ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations

·  Cultivate new partner relationships; maintain key existing relationships

·  Establish budgets, acquire funding, and create financial/work agreements to meet objectives

·  Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field

·  Establish and manage the National Coordinating Office

·  Communication with AC, funders, collaborators, key partners and stakeholders

Person: Alyssa Rosemartin, M.S.Role: Assistant Director and IT CoordinatorFTE: 1.0 Funded by: University of Arizona

Assistant Director (0.5 FTE):

·  Contribute to strategic vision and implementation plan for the activities of the NCO in support of the USA-NPN

·  Ensure smooth operation of the National Coordinating Office (policies, conflict management; communication; run staff meetings; ensure staff have necessary resources)

·  Manage the cooperative agreement at the University of Arizona, manage expenditures, scope and fill new positions in collaboration with the SNRE business office to meet USA-NPN goals and objectives

·  Support external policy development and compliance (e.g., Terms of Use, compliance with Paperwork Reduction Act)

IT Coordinator (0.5 FTE):

·  Coordinate development (including enhancements, security, testing and documentation) of the USA-NPN IT Infrastructure

·  USA-NPN Drupal website

·  Apps for data entry (Java, Android, iOS)

·  Servers

·  Databases

Person: Ellen Denny, M.S.Role: Monitoring Design and Data Coordinator FTE: 1.0 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Coordinate development and documentation of protocols for monitoring phenology

·  Coordinate addition of species to Nature’s Notebook species list

·  Ensure accuracy, integrity and usability of data in the National Phenology database for scientific applications

·  Write reports and peer-reviewed publications related to the database and protocols

·  Contribute to meeting planning (RCN, Phenology 2012)

Person: Theresa Crimmins, Ph.D.Role: Partnerships and Outreach CoordinatorFTE: 0.75 FTEFunded by: University of Arizona

·  Coordinate partnerships (serve as first point of contact; ensure needed services are in place; provide follow up and support)

·  Develop and maintain the Partners section of the USA-NPN website

·  Coordinate observer recruitment, training and retention efforts

·  Author reports, peer-reviewed publications, presentations and posters; manage USA-NPN Programmatic and Technical Reports series

·  Provide support to science team as needed

Person: Carrie Enquist, Ph.D.Role: Science Coordinator FTE: 1.0Funded by: The Wildlife Society

·  Facilitate and coordinate the broad use of phenological data to support basic and applied research (e.g., contribute to national and regional assessments of climate and implications for biodiversity, such as National Climate Assessment, Southwest Climate Assessment)

·  Cultivate science and monitoring partnerships with government agencies, NGOs and academic researchers (e.g., serve as USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System Inventory & Monitoring program liaison; develop proposals for collaboration, such as with the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network; consult with and participate in trainings for land managers on conducting climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning processes)

·  Communicate the goals and accomplishments of the USA-NPN in the form of peer-reviewed articles, information sheets and presentations at professional and public meetings

·  Coordinate and contribute to scientific meeting planning (e.g., Research Coordination Network, Phenology 2012, Ecological Society of America participation)

·  Lead implementation of science goals and objectives (e.g., assemble working groups to identify and develop value-added data products, develop NPDb analysis methods, develop approaches for incorporating phenological monitoring into climate-informed adaptive management and conservation planning processes)

Person: Patty Guertin, B.S.
Role: Botanist
FTE: 0.5 FTE
Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Research and assimilate information on species’ life history in support of phenology monitoring protocol development and species profile information.

Person: Kathy Gerst, Ph.D.
Role: Research Associate
FTE: 0.75
Funded by: University of Arizona

Liaison to the California Phenology Project (0.5 FTE)

·  Support the development of Standard Operating Procedures for phenology monitoring; including development of methods for integrating USA-NPN methods with NPS I&M Vital Signs and protocols

·  Contribute to development of prioritized species lists and profile information for CA biogeographic regions and parks

·  Communicate regularly with project collaborators, and contribute to development of progress and final reports and presentations

Research Associate in the NCO (0.25 FTE)

·  Conduct preliminary analyses using data housed in the National Phenology Database (NPDb), document results as appropriate in information sheets, reports and peer-reviewed publications

·  Contribute to Research Coordination Meeting planning and outcomes, including leading development of workshop report

·  Promote use of NPDb data in science and decision-making

Person: LoriAnne Barnett, M.A.
Role: Education Coordinator
FTE: 1.0
Funded by: University of Arizona

Engage with education audiences (G6-12 and post-secondary teachers, nature center educators, park interpretative staff, extension specialists) to promote the incorporation of phenology monitoring into existing formal and informal educational settings

·  Work with partners at the national, regional and local levels to develop new materials and pilot programs for phenology education

·  Develop and maintain the Education section of the USA-NPN website, as well as reports, brochures, outreach presentations, training materials

·  Develop content for web and media outlets on phenology and climate change

Person: Lee Marsh, B.S.Role: Applications Programmer FTE: 1.0 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Create, maintain and enhance PHP and Java web applications for data input and output

·  Maintain the USA-NPN's Drupal website and the National Phenology Database (MySQL)

·  Support server administration

·  Participate in testing and review of the information management system

·  Write software, database, and infrastructure documentation

Person: Doug Meredith, M.A.Role: Research Computing Specialist FTE: 0.1 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Create, maintain, enhance and document iPhone and Android Applications for data entry

Person: Erin Posthumus, M.S.Role: Outreach Assistant and FWS LiasonFTE: 1.0 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Conducts needs assessments with incoming partner organizations, such as nature centers, arboreta, and school groups, and customizes the program to best meet stakeholder goals.

·  Supports observer recruitment and retention.

·  Leads development of a phenology pilot project with the US Fish and Wildlife Service

·  Provides customized, on-the ground support for outreach and scientific research at pilot refuges

·  Creates preliminary statistical analyses on data submitted to Nature’s Notebook via the pilot refuge and reports results to Refuge Manager and volunteer community

Person: Sara Schaffer, B.S.Role: Web Developer and Office AssistantFTE: 0.5 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Administer Drupal website including development of menus, blocks, content types and views as well as permissions management and using new modules/functionality.

·  Maintain and edits content and graphic media such as photographs, video and other visual design elements.

·  Manage promotional items, office supplies and print material development for outreach (scoping, pricing, stocking and tracking).

·  Contribute to special projects and events.

Person: Sharon Oliver, B.A.Role: Administrative Associate FTE: 0.5 Funded by: University of Arizona

·  Oversee, maintain and reconcile University of Arizona budgets, monitor expenditures and perform budget analyses

·  Manage facilities and infrastructure (office reconfigurations; printer, copier, fax maintenance)

·  Maintain calendar, arrange travel (authorizations, reservations, itineraries and reimbursement requests)

·  Shape and implement new policies, procedures or practices

·  Support planning of conferences and meetings