Staff Bios

Todd Miller

Todd Miller founded the federation in 1982. He is a coastal North Carolina native and holds a masters degree in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He received the Southern Environmental Law Center's Southern Environmental Leadership Award in 2000 and The Old North State Award from the governor in 2007. Todd is a founding board member of Restore America Estuaries and has served on its board with other national leaders in coastal habitat restoration since 1995. As executive director, Todd formulates the federation’s goals and policy positions, serves as the federation’s spokesperson and provides staff and operations oversight. [ Email ]

Sam Bland

Manager, Jones Island

Sam joined the federation in 2009 after completing a 30-year career as a park ranger and park superintendent at the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Most of that time was spent at Hammocks Beach State Park near Swansboro where Sam specialized in resource management and environmental education. His work with state parks earned Sam the federation’s  Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009; the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state’s highest civilian honor; and the Rotary International Outstanding Public Citizen Award.  With the federation, Sam is responsible for helping develop programs at the education center on Jones Island. Sam graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor of science degree in parks and conservation and is a certified environmental educator. [ Email ]

Rachael Carlyle

Rachael joined the staff in March 2004 as the new volunteer coordinator. A native of Pennsylvania, Rachael spent most of her summers in Emerald Isle. She graduated from Gettysburg College with a bachelor of arts in environmental studies. She also has a master's degree in marine policy and affairs from the University of Miami. Before joining the federation, Rachael worked in environmental and marine science education and as a research technician at the Duke and the University of North Carolina marine labs in Morehead City. [ Email ]

Jan DeBlieu

Jan DeBlieu joined the federation in March 2003. As a long-time resident of the Outer Banks, Jan is active in many environmental efforts and was a co-founder of LegaSea – the regional coalition that successfully prevented Mobil and Chevron from drilling off the Outer Banks. In her work as an environmental activist and natural history writer, she has developed an intimate knowledge of the coastal ecosystem. She is responsible for the northern coast and Outer Banks area and manages the Northeast Regional Office in Manteo. [ Email ]

Emily Farmer

Emily, a long time federation volunteer and former board member, joined the staff in 2008. She served two terms on the Emerald Isle Town Board of Commissioners where she spearheaded the creation of Emerald Isle Woods, the town's 40-acre park and stormwater project on Bogue Sound. Emily is also a pediatric nurse at Carteret General Hospital. [ Email ]

Erin Fleckenstein

Erin joined the staff in 2008. She has had more than eight years of environmental experience. Her last position was teaching assistant at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington for undergraduate biology and field-based ecology. Erin holds a bachelor of science degree in marine and freshwater biology from University of New Hampshire and a masters of science in marine biology from UNCW. [ Email ]

Mike Giles

Mike joined the staff in May 2006. Mike is a North Carolina native, and before joining the federation, he served as the open-space land manager for Durham County for five years. Mike has extensive stewardship, enforcement and advocacy experience, gathered from positions with the National Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers and as chief park ranger for Mecklenburg County. He studied wildlife management at N.C. State University, which included additional research and course work in coastal ecology. Mike monitors the Southeast Region from the Wrightsville Beach regional office. [ Email ]

Sara Hallas

Sara came on board in February 2008. Before arriving at the federation, she worked as special activities instructor at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island for three and a half years. She interned at Tecumesch Land Trust in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and conducted research on blue-legged hermit crabs in the Bahamas. She holds a bachelor of science with a major in biology. [ Email ]

Lauren Kolodij

Lauren Kolodij has worked for the federation since 1992. She holds a bachelor of science in Environmental Conservation from N.C. State University. Lauren coordinates many of the federation's conferences and coastal issue meetings. In addition, she staffs the Coastal Caucus, a coalition of grassroots and formal environmental organizations. Working with the executive director, Lauren's primary responsibility is to ensure implementation of the federation's program goals and objectives. [ Email ]

Jo Ann Marsh

Jo Ann Marsh started with the federation in 1993. She brings over 30 years of business and accounting experience to the job. Her duties include handling the day-to-day business for the federation, financial reporting, personnel and the management of the membership database. She has an associate degree in accounting and computer technology. [ Email ]

Christine Miller

Christine Miller joined the staff in 2006. She's responsible for government fundraising and staff and program planning for the federation's three offices. She also manages special policy initiatives and programs from the main office and helps plan our communications strategies. She has worked on coastal policy and protection issues for over 10 years. Christine holds a bachelor of arts in English from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in marine policy and coastal management from the University of Delaware. [ Email ]

Sarah Phillips

Sarah Phillips, originally from the mountains of Virginia, has worked and lived in coastal North Carolina since 2001. With the federation since August 2004, Sarah coordinates and manages all citizen and student-based education programs for the central region. She also sits on the Citizen's Advisory Committee for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program and is on the Environmental Educators of North Carolina's board of directors. Sarah received a degree in elementary and secondary education from Longwood University and has been teaching in traditional and non-traditional settings for over ten years. [ Email ]

Rose Rundell

Rose joined the staff in 2003. She does a little bit of everything around here and is likely the voice on the other end of the phone when you call our office. She also buys the plants and composes fact sheets for federation’s annual Native Plant Festival. Originally from Ohio, she moved to the area from Charleston, S.C.  Environmental issues have always been one of her interests and are what brought her to the federation. [ Email ]

Tracy Skrabal

Tracy Skrabal joined the federation in 1996 and has led the federation's Southeast Regional Office in Wilmington for six years. She holds a masters degree in marine science and a bachelor of science in geology from the College of William and Mary. Having held positions with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and as a private consultant, she has accumulated more than 17 years experience in coastal policy and planning and in implementing conservation projects. [ Email ]

Sally Steele

Sally Steele joined the federation staff in mid-1996. Before coming to Ocean, she was with the N.C. Zoological Society for 23 years where she served in progressive positions including retail director, membership director and associate director. Her duties at the federation include membership, grant writing, fundraising programs, member communications and events and marketing.  She is an active volunteer in the community, an instructor for the Duke University Nonprofit Management Certification Program and has more than 35 years of nonprofit management experience.  Sally enjoys kayaking with her buddies.  [ Email ]

Frank Tursi

Frank Tursi heads our advocacy communications, which includes managing our Web site and Facebook page. He also is responsible for regional advocacy along the central coast. He works out of our main office in Ocean. Frank joined the federation in January 2002 after an almost 30-year career as a newspaper journalist – the last 23 at the Winston-Salem Journal where he was the environmental and special-projects reporter. He has won numerous state and national writing awards for his environmental reporting, including the Scripps-Howard National Environmental Award and The Sierra Club's lifetime achievement award in 2002. [ Email ]

Dr. Lexia Weaver

Lexia Weaver, originally from Hialeah, Fla., joined the federation in April 2007 after living in coastal North Carolina since 2002. Her background is in estuarine water quality and aquatic plant ecology and she has conducted over 10 years of research in estuarine environments in Delaware and North Carolina. Lexia holds a masters degree and a Ph.D. in marine studies from the University of Delaware and a bachelor of science in biology from Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. Lexia manages coastal restoration activities within the central region of coastal North Carolina. [ Email ]

Ted Wilgis

Ted works in the Wilmington Regional Office focusing on oyster restoration projects and implementation of the Oyster Plan. Previously, he served as the Cape Fear Coastkeeper® for five years and as the federation's education director for five years. Before coming to the federation, Ted worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for nine years managing and developing education programs and a watershed planning initiative. Ted holds a bachelor of arts degree in zoology from Connecticut College and a Coast Guard captain's license and is currently enrolled in the marine biology graduate program at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. [ Email ]