Council Members
The council consists of public and government members. All public members apply through a regular recruitment process. For more information about recruitment opportunities, visit Council Recruitment. The public is invited to contact advisory council members about questions, comments, or requests for information concerning council-related issues.
Public Members (13)
- Citizen At-Large (3 seats)
- Conservation (2 seats)
- Diving, Sport
- Education, K-12
- Education, University
- Fishing, Industry
- Fishing, Sport
- Research (2 seats)
- Tourism
Government Members (9)
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement
- NOAA Fisheries Service
- NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
- NOAA Sea Grant
- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Navy
ADVISORY COUNCIL OFFICERS
Dr. Russell Kent, Chair, Oct. 2023 - Present
Dr. Lauren Stefaniak, Vice-Chair, Oct. 2023 - Present
Kent Wicker, Executive Officer, Apr. 2024 - Present
PUBLIC MEMBERS
Citizen At-Large (3 seats)
Charleston, South Carolina
KWicker@udel.edu
Term: June 2023-June 2026
Conservation (2 seats)
Sport Diving
Education
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
LStefania@coastal.edu
Term: June 2023-June 2026
Fishing
Research
Tourism
GOVERNMENT MEMBERS
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Law Enforcement
NOAA Fisheries Service
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
NOAA Sea Grant
Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
United States Coast Guard
United States Navy
Council Subcommittees and Working Groups
Working groups and subcommittees further enhance community involvement in the management of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Working groups and subcommittees are established by the Sanctuary Advisory Council to address specific issues or topics requiring focused attention that are best handled in smaller group settings. Subcommittees consist solely of advisory council members, while working groups also include additional stakeholders and subject matter experts to study specific issues.
Each subcommittee and working group is chaired by a council member and functions under the purview of the full Sanctuary Advisory Council. These temporary subunits of the council are disbanded once their final findings and recommendations are reported to the full advisory council.
Current Subcommittees and Working Groups and Contacts
University Education representative