Talk directly with NOAA GC
If you would like to learn more about working for NOAA GC, please consider reaching out to one of our NOAA GC Ambassadors, listed below. This list will likely continue to evolve, and ambassadors can include attorneys, managers, paralegals, and program specialists from across NOAA GC. The current list includes attorneys and managers within NOAA GC.
NOAA GC Ambassadors are available to address your questions about working for NOAA GC, including workplace culture, experiences, career paths and career development, and other details. Ambassadors are an informal resource only. If you have questions about a specific career opportunity that is not addressed in the USA Jobs announcement, please contact the appropriate section.
NOAA GC Ambassadors
Sam Duggan is an Attorney-Advisor in the Northeast Section. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for undergrad, Colorado State University for graduate school, and the University of Minnesota for law school. Sam is from Buffalo, New York, and joined NOAA in 2020 as an Honors Attorney. Before NOAA he worked as an aquatic ecotoxicologist and as a commercial fisherman. Email: sam.duggan@noaa.gov.
Jennifer Lee Clinchy is an Attorney-Advisor in the Enforcement Section. She attended the University of Washington for her undergraduate degrees and Georgetown University for her J.D. and Master of Public Policy degrees. Jennifer is the daughter of immigrants and the first person in her family to attend law school. Email: jennifer.clinchy@noaa.gov.
Alisha Falberg is an Attorney-Advisor with the Alaska Section. She attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree, John Jay College of Criminal Justice for her Master degree, Penn State University Dickinson School of Law for her J.D., and Vermont Law School for her LLM. Alisha is from Traverse City, Michigan, and joined NOAA GC in 2015, originally with the Enforcement Section and transferred to the Alaska Section in 2018. Email: alisha.falberg@noaa.gov.
Rose Stanley is an Attorney-Advisor in the Northwest Section, based in Seattle, WA. She has a J.D. from Stanford Law School, a M.S. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, and a B.S. from Cornell University. Rose is originally from Juneau, AK, and joined NOAA in 2016 through the Attorney Honors Program. Email: rose.stanley@noaa.gov
Lea Tyhach is an Attorney-Advisor in the Northeast Section. Originally from Rhode Island, she received a BS in environmental science from Cornell University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. Prior to joining NOAA, Lea clerked for the U.S. District Court for the District of MA; worked as an associate at a Boston-based law firm; and was employed in-house at a hydropower development company. She joined the public sector as an Attorney Advisor at the Department of Interior Solicitor’s Office in 2015, and transferred to NOAA GC in 2020. Email: lea.tyhach@noaa.gov.
Emma Htun is an Attorney-Advisor in the Fisheries and Protected Resources Section, located in Silver Spring, MD. She immigrated to the United States from Myanmar, and calls North Carolina and Washington, D.C. home. Emma has an undergraduate degree in international politics and development from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a J.D. and LLM in international and comparative law from Duke University School of Law. During law school, she interned for NOAA GC’s International Section, and later joined NOAA as a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow working on international fisheries issues with the National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA Fisheries. Emma then shifted to working with NOAA Fisheries’ broader regulatory functions and processes as Senior Advisor for Regulatory Programs, before joining NOAA GC in 2020. She is a graduate of NOAA’s Leadership Development Competencies Program, during which she completed details related to agency operations, budget, and national marine sanctuary management, as well as with the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Pollution Funds Center and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s Development Law Service. Email: emma.htun@noaa.gov.
Rachel Morris is an Attorney-Advisor in the Oceans and Coasts Section, located in Silver Spring, MD. She joined NOAA GC in 2018 as an Honors Attorney, and then worked for the Northwest Section in Seattle, WA for three years before joining her current office. Prior to NOAA, she clerked for two years at the Oregon Court of Appeals. Originally from New Jersey, Rachel attended The College of New Jersey for her undergraduate degree and Lewis & Clark Law School for her J.D. Email: rachel.morris@noaa.gov
Frank M. Sprtel is an Attorney-Advisor in the Environmental Review and Coordination Section, located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Frank hails from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and holds a B.A. from Lawrence University; a M.S. in geological oceanography from the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University; and a J.D. and Certificate in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Oregon School of Law. Frank joined NOAA in 2000 as an Honors Attorney and worked in NOAA’s Office of General Counsel Fisheries and Protected Resources Section and Enforcement Section prior to joining his current office. While at NOAA, he earned a Certificate in Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution from the Udall Foundation’s John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution and participated in temporary assignments with the U.S. Coast Guard, Judge Advocate General, Maritime and International Law, Environmental Law Division; and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Assistant General Counsel, Legislation and Regulation, Legislative Division. Email: frank.sprtel@noaa.gov.
Erik Federman is an Attorney-Advisor in the Oceans and Coasts Section, located in Silver, Spring, MD. Erik joined NOAA GC in 2020 as an Honors Attorney. Prior to NOAA, he clerked for the Alaska Supreme Court and for the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. Originally from Philadelphia, Erik attended the University of Chicago for his undergraduate degree (B.A., Classical Studies), and Harvard Law School for his J.D. Email: erik.federman@noaa.gov.
Jackie Rolleri is the Deputy Section Chief of the Oceans and Coasts Section, located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Originally from Connecticut, Jackie has a B.A. in biology and environmental science from Colby College, a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law, and a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Jackie interned for NOAA GC’s International Section when she was in law school and later joined NOAA in 2011 through the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. During her Fellowship, Jackie worked as a coastal management specialist for NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and completed details to NOAA GC and NOAA Budget Office. Jackie joined the Oceans and Coasts Section of NOAA GC as an attorney-advisor in 2015, and became the Deputy Section Chief in 2019. Email: jackie.rolleri@noaa.gov.
Molly Watson is the Deputy Section Chief of the Alaska Section, located in Juneau, Alaska. Molly joined NOAA GC in 2015 as an Honors Attorney. Prior to NOAA, Molly clerked for the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She attended Fort Lewis College for her undergraduate degrees (Agriculture Business and English), and Vermont Law School for her J.D. and Master of Environmental Law and Policy degrees. Molly is from Durango, Colorado, and worked in a fly-fishing store between college and law school. Email: molly.watson@noaa.gov.