 JESSICA PULFER,
Director
Jessica began her MarineLab career in 2005 as a Marine Science Field Instructor. Now the Director of Education, she is ultimately responsible for the day to day MarineLab operations, including overseeing our dive program. (more...)
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 SARAH EGNER,
Director, Research & Development
Sarah recently became Director in charge of our Research & Development programs. Sarah is also an Assistant Director for MarineLab and is in charge of our curriculum, in addition to standing in when Jessica is not available. (more)
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 CHRIS OLSTAD
Habitat Operations Director
Chris is our Habitat Operations Director but also takes a turn now and again in our MarineLab program as an instructor. Chris has been with MarineLab the longest, having started in 1985. (more...)
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 KATIE MASTENBROOK, Assistant Director, Outreach
Katie has a BS in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University. As an Assistant Director, Katie is responsible for maintaining our snorkel and lab equipment, aquaria, and being in charge when Jessica is not available. Katie's special responsibilities include our Outreach programs and the internship program.She has worked at Newfound Harbor Marine Institute in the Florida Keys and at the YMCA Camp Orkila in Orcas Island, WA.
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 TYLER EARWOOD, Field Instructor
Tyler was a MarineLab intern for two summers and decided then that he wanted to be a MarineLab instructors. A recent graduate of the University of West Alabama, Tyler has a degree in Marine Biology. He is from Alabama.
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 KELLEY STEPHENS, Field Instructor
Kelley is originally from Ohio and has a degree in Marine Biology from Eckerd College. She worked at Catalina Island Marine Institute and also spent time in New Zealand. She has worked at Arcadia Institute of Oceanography (ME) and did a semester at sea in the Caribbean, aboard a sailing vessel. |
 LIZZIE MCNAMEE, Field Instructor
Lizzie started diving when she was 12 years old. During college, she interned at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Right after college, Lizzie moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands where she worked as a divemaster and research assistant at the School for Field Studies. Since then, she acquired her SCUBA Instructor’s certification and worked at Ocean Divers in Key Largo, FL. She took a short hiatus to work for Sail Caribbean, a teen sailing/marine science program based out of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, where she captained the boat and taught sailing and marine biology. Lizzie has a BA in Marine Science from Boston University and is originally from Massachusetts.
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 TOMMY PAIGE, Field Instructor
After graduating college in 2008, Tommy has worked in several different places in the Keys and the mountains. First he worked at Newfound Harbor Marine Institute (NHMI) as an instructor, but then he moved back to the mountains to teach at The Mountain Institute. He camped with students for at least a week in the Monongahela National Forest. The Keys called him back, however, and he came back to work on a dive boat in Key West. He also had a job as a tropical fish collector, capturing and transporting fish, sharks and stingrays throughout North America. Most recently, he was the SCUBA Director at NHMI/SeaCamp before landing here at MarineLab. Tommy has a BS in Environmental Science from Davis & Elkins College. He hails from West Virginia.
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 ANUPA ASOKAN, Field Instructor
Anupa has a BS from UCLA in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Environmental Science. While at UCLA, Anupa began interning with Heal the Bay as an aquarist and spent weekends running the Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach. After college, she moved to Catalina Island and spent three years there teaching marine science, aquaristing, and exploring kelp forests. She recently completed graduate school at the University of Rhode Island, earning her MBA and her MS in Oceanography, and now she is here at MarineLab!
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 SARAJEAN (SJ) BYCE, Field Instructor
SJ fell in love with marine science while studying in the Turks and Caicos Islands through the School for Field Studies. Last summer SJ worked as an educator for Sea Turtle Camp in Wilmington, NC leading nest walks for loggerhead turtles and assisting at the local sea turtle hospital. When not in the ocean, SJ loves running, rock climbing and whitewater kayaking. She has a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Richmond.
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 AARON CHASTAIN, Field Instructor
Aaron has returned for his second year as a MarineLab instructor, after spending the winter as a fisheries observer in Alaska (Brrr!) During his last few years of college, Aaron worked for SeaCamp in Galveston, TX, where he educated students and teachers about various aspects of marine life. He is glad to be back at MarineLab and teaching students again! Aaron holds a BS in Marine Biology from the Texas A&M University.
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 MIMI FRANCO, Field Instructor
Mimi knew all her life that she wanted to be a marine biologist. With a Bachelor's degree in Marine Psychobiology from the University of New England (ME), Michelle's passion is in marine mammal behavior. In the past, she volunteered for four years rehabilitating stranded seals and sea turtles at the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center. She has completed two internships at Mote Marine Lab, and it was there that she discovered her love for manatees. During her undergrad, she did research on Great Barrier Reef coral distribution, Florida manatee temperature change adaptations, and the Effects of Chemical Toxins on the Shoaling Behavior of Fish.
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 GINETTE HUGHES
Senior VP, Program Services
MarineLab Coordinator
Ginette has been with MarineLab almost since its inception in 1985. She joined in 1986 as the "booking secretary" and has since expanded her duties, and title, to include overseeing all Marine Resources Development Foundation operations, not just the MarineLab program. Currently, she is responsible for coordinating the day to day activities of the Foundation, including computer resources, human resources, and marketing/public relations, in addition to supervising the program development, planning, and coordination for all programs. She is also responsible for long range program planning for the Foundation, including financial forecasts and budgets. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University before earning her Bachelor's of Business degree from Florida International University. Ginette is a native of New Jersey but has been in the Keys for longer than she was in NJ. She is a diver and a racing and cruising sailor.
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 JOANN SMENDA, Treasurer & Business Office Manager
Ms. Smenda joined the Foundation in 1989, after a succesful 16-year tenure with AT&T in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently Treasurer and Business Manager, her past job functions at the Foundation have included Assistant to the President as well as Coordinator of the TEEC facility in South Carolina. Currently, she is responsible for all accounting and payroll functions, expense control, employee benefits, donations, and is instrumental in the overall day to day business operations of the Foundation. JoAnn earned her AA in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, she is an avid Indians and Browns fan.
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 LIZ WOOD,
Administrative Assistant
Liz joined the team in 2008. As the MarineLab administrative assistant, she is responsible for billing, collecting forms, and coordinating the cafeteria and housekeeping services needed by MarineLab programs. Liz is a native of Texas but has lived all over the West and Midwest.
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 DAN SHINGLEDECKER,
Director of Maintenance
Dan is responsible for MarineLab's entire facility, including our boats and motors! He is an experienced maintenance supervisor and trained electrician and Mercury service technician. Dan supervises a staff of two maintenance workers. He is a native of Michigan but moved to Florida long ago.
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 JORGE HERNDANDEZ, Maintenance
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NURIA VENTURA, Housekeeping
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