Sanctuary Staff
Contact Us
For general inquiries:
graysreef@noaa.gov
(912) 598-2345 (office phone)
(912) 598-2367 (fax)
Leadership
Stan Rogers
Superintendent
Stan.Rogers@noaa.gov | 912.598.2428
Stan Rogers is the superintendent at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary joining the sanctuary in 2019, continuing his 20+ year career with government service. Rogers previously worked for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) where he most recently supervised policy, planning and evaluation, data management, and communications activities for NOAA's Restoration Center in the Office of Habitat Conservation. Prior to that, he served as a senior consultation biologist for NMFS' Office of Protected Resources leading national programmatic consultations with the U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense training and testing activities worldwide, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Prior to joining NOAA in 2011, Rogers spent 15 years with the Department of Defense as a civilian natural resources and conservation law enforcement program manager for the Air Force. There he was responsible for natural resource conservation programs on military lands and waters around the Continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawai'i. He also administered environmental programs in overseas locations including Greenland, Ascension Island, and Antigua.
Rogers is a native of the lowcountry of South Carolina and a graduate of Clemson University. He began his career as a consulting wildlife biologist in the Carolinas and Georgia working with private and corporate landowners and is fortunate to return "home" to be a steward of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
Elliott Lam
State Program Manager
Elliott.Lam@noaa.gov | 912.598.2439
Elliott Lam arrived at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 2018. In his role on the management team, Elliott's main responsibilities include coordinating support with our primary partner, the University of Georgia's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, program planning and implementation, and partnerships with stakeholders. His interest in marine resources management grew out of experiences as a youth fishing along the marshes of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and diving in the Florida Keys. Lam honed his skills while working at Rare, an international NGO, in their Philippines office, where he worked with local governments and marginal anglers to establish scientifically sound, ecosystem-based fisheries and habitat management. Lam holds a master’s degree in environmental and natural resource management from the University of the Philippines and a bachelor’s degree in government from Berry College.
Duties: grant management, finance, facilities, IT, operations, program planning, recreational fishing and diving
Resource Protection
Scott Kathey
Resource Protection Coordinator
Scott.Kathey@noaa.gov | 912.598.2381
Scott Kathey joined the Gray's Reef team in December 2020. He began working for the National Marine Sanctuary System in 1992 as a graduate intern with the Olympic Coast and Proposed Northwest Straits national marine sanctuary programs in Washington state. Two years later, he accepted a position at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California as a resource protection specialist. In this role, Kathey coordinated a variety of tasks over 26 years such as regulatory compliance, environmental enforcement, emergency response planning/operations, permitting, marine policy, advisory council administration, buoy system management, salvage contracting and oversight, small boat management, and boat/dive/air operations. As resource protection coordinator at Gray's Reef, he is responsible for resource protection policy development and implementation, permitting, advisory council administration, sanctuary management planning, regulatory interpretation and development, enforcement, environmental emergency response, and support for sanctuary boat, dive, and air operations. Scott gained a love for the sea during visits to the Gulf Coast as a child and entered the marine protection field to play an active role in ocean stewardship. During his professional career in local and federal coastal zone management, he has applied a combination of policy, regulatory, administrative, and social tools to prevent and minimize threats to natural resources and processes across urban shorelines, national wildlife refuges, and national marine sanctuaries. Kathey holds a master’s degree in marine affairs from University of Washington with a concentration in coastal management, and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University with a concentration in international politics.
Duties: policy development, permitting, advisory council, management planning, regulations, enforcement, emergency response, and field operations support
Scientific Research and Monitoring
Kim Roberson
Research Coordinator and Unit Diving Supervisor
Kimberly.Roberson@noaa.gov | 912.598.2382
Kimberly Roberson joined Gray's Reef in 2016. She is the sanctuary's research coordinator, responsible for the science conducted at the site. Roberson leads Gray's Reef's science team in determining research that will best inform conservation management of the sanctuary and help us better understand the ocean and the marine life that lives there. She also coordinates research activities conducted by partner organizations and other scientists that study Gray's Reef. Kim uses diving as a tool for research and also serves as the sanctuary's unit diving supervisor. In that role, she supervises the Gray's Reef Dive Team. Kim has been a NOAA certified diver since 2005 and a NOAA divemaster since 2006. She was the first female chair of the NOAA Diving Control and Safety Board and served as NOAA's National Ocean Service diving officer for three years.
Prior to joining Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Roberson worked as a marine biologist with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's (NCCOS) Biogeography Branch, where she managed Caribbean field and science research and an active 18-member dive team. Prior to joining NOAA, she worked with the National Park Service on St. Croix, USVI. There she managed the sea turtle research program, other threatened and endangered species protection and invasive eradication efforts, and coral reef monitoring. Roberson holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Berry College in Rome, Georgia and a master’s degree in biology from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where she conducted genetics research on leatherback sea turtles, exploring connectivity between nesting populations and pelagic individuals.
Duties: science, research, science team supervision and coordination, diving supervision and safety, divemaster
Alison Soss
Geospatial Data Analyst
Alison.Soss@noaa.gov | 912.598.2431
Alison Soss was first part of the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary science team between 2014-2016 working as a research program specialist. In 2019, she was hired back on as a research program specialist and geospatial analyst. In these roles, she supports research goals by curating and providing geospatial analytical support for the sanctuary. In addition to providing scientific diving and field support, she assists with equipment deployment planning, data management, and mapping outreach materials. Soss' interests in marine research began when she got scuba certified in 2010. She loves the challenges of conducting research underwater and always seeing or hearing something new while out at sea. She also has a passion for social sciences and learning about how humans value and interact with the environment and each other. Her interests have led her to working on offshore research expeditions and social science projects for the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. Soss holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a bachelor’s in biology from Emory University. She is currently working on her master's degree at the College of Charleston in environmental studies and public administration.
Duties: data management, GIS analysis, cartography, scientific research, scientific diving, research planning, scientific reports, communication and outreach material
Vessel Operations
Lieutenant Cassidy Ring
Vessel Operations Coordinator
Cassidy.Ring@noaa.gov | 912.657.0526
Lieutenant Cassidy Ring joined Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary as the vessel operations coordinator in 2022. She coordinates small boat operations as well as supports dive operations for the sanctuary as a NOAA dive master. Lieutenant Ring's previous assignment was aboard the NOAA Ship Oregon II in Pascagoula, MS concluding her tour as Navigation Officer and spending some time as acting operations officer. On Oregon II, Lieutenant Ring sailed throughout the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), as well as along the U.S. East Coast, as far north as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina conducting plankton surveys, shark and red snapper longline operations, and trawling for groundfish population studies. Before joining the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, she worked as an environmental compliance specialist for FEMA, supporting hurricane recovery efforts in her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina following Hurricane Florence in 2018. She completed two bachelor's degrees in biology and marine sciences at North Carolina State University, where she also minored in Spanish and zoology and competed on the club rowing and club rugby teams. Lieutenant Ring continues to play rugby competitively and is passionate about growing the sport, spending time outdoors, and giving her two rescue pups the best life possible.
Duties: vessel operations, safety, vessel maintenance, dive support, budgeting
Jason Ward
Boat Captain
Captain Jason Ward joined Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary’s Vessel Operations team as a boat captain in 2025. Captain Ward is from Paradise Texas and began his marine career as scuba diver exploring deep shipwrecks and utilizing technical gear like rebreathers. Captain Ward has been boating for 16 years and has nautical experience ranging from Key West, Florida, to Bar Harbor, Maine. In 2013, Captain Ward received his qualifications from the Chapman School of Seamanship in Port Salerno, Florida. Captain Ward is looking forward to providing oversight of vessel maintenance and crew training, thus contributing to safer operations overall.
Duties: vessel operations, safety, vessel maintenance
First Lieutenant Rachel Henley
Operations Specialist
First Lieutenant Rachel Henley is interning as an operations specialist through the Army's Career Starter Program. As a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear officer (CBRN), her expertise in hazardous material operations, protection and mitigation assists with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary's mission of conserving the sanctuary for current and future generations. Her passion is to learn more about future job opportunities within environmental management and emergency response. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and playing rugby.
Duties: Safety, vessel operations, vessel maintenance
Education and Outreach
Mary Quinn
Education and Outreach Specialist
Mary.Quinn@noaa.gov | 912.598.2417
Mary Quinn joined Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 2023 as a NOAA Affiliate via University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. As the education and outreach specialist, Mary handles day-to-day operations at Gray’s Reef Ocean Discovery Center, including volunteers, visitors, and informal education. She is also responsible for building curriculum and creating educational programming. Mary found a passion for education and outreach while working for marine science nonprofits in the Florida Keys. In the span of two years, Mary taught over 10,000 visiting students about the ecosystems of the Florida Keys, and general threats to marine environments. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in biology and creative writing from Wheaton College, Massachusetts.
Duties: Oversees the Ocean Discovery Center, curriculum development, informal educational program design, events
Danielle Oxman
Outreach, Social Media Specialist and Volunteer Coordinator
Danielle.Oxman@noaa.gov | 912.349.9417
Danielle Oxman joined Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 2025 as a NOAA affiliate via University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. As the outreach and social media specialist, Oxman runs our social media, updates our website, and coordinates outreach events. Oxman has had a passion for communicating science throughout her career experiences. In her various roles, she travelled all over the world, from South Africa to Hawaii, researching and educating communities on the wonders of our waters. Oxman worked as a PADI dive instructor in Hawaii, where she fostered stewardship and conservation through scuba diving. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the University of Oregon where she worked in the Von Dassow Laboratory at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.
Duties: Social media and website management, event coordination/planning, supports the Ocean Discovery Center and educational programs
Ansley Standridge
Social Media Affiliate
Ansley Standridge joined Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 2024 as a NOAA affiliate. She assists the social media team and handles content creation, caption writing, and identifying trends. She also greets guests and operates the Ocean Discovery Center gift shop. She’s currently a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, studying writing and social strategy and management.
Duties: Content creation, copywriting, greeting guests, gift shop
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Sarah Porter
Chapter Director, Gray’s Reef NMS Foundation
With over 15 years of experience in development and building partnerships, Sarah Porter is dedicated to inspiring support for our marine ecosystems. Most recently she was the director of innovative philanthropy at Hope for Haiti, where she not only spearheaded all northeast fundraising campaigns but also launched the organization’s pioneering virtual reality (VR) project, allowing users to virtually explore a school in rural Haiti. Porter’s commitment to service includes over two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Macedonia, followed by founding the New York City Peace Corps Association. A new scuba diver and avid kayaker, she also co-produces short documentaries about nature in urban environments, and is passionate about sea creatures.