NALMS 2021 Election Candidates
The 2021 election for officers and directors is underway. Voting in the annual election is an important way for NALMS members to provide input in the management of the Society. Our officers and directors are all volunteers who serve without pay.
All members may vote for President-Elect.
- The President-Elect serves for one year in that position after which they serve as President for one year and Past-President for one year.
Members may also vote for a director to represent their NALMS Region. Regional Directors are elected for a three-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms.
Student members may also vote for a Student Director. The Student director is elected for a one-year term and may serve up to three consecutive terms.
Kiyoko Yokota, Ph.D., CLM is a limnologist at State University of New York College at Oneonta, USA. She graduated from Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota with B.S. in Biology with Ecology Emphasis (summa cum laude) and qualified as an Associate Professional Engineer while working for a civil engineering consultancy in Tokyo, Japan. She was responsible for environmental assessment and water quality forecasting and management projects for new and existing reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. After earning a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Kiyoko completed a short-term postdoctoral training at Netherland Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) before she started teaching full time, starting at the University of Tampa in Florida. Kiyoko’s service to NALMS includes Region 2 Director (2015–18), Student Programs member (2016–present), Government Affairs Committee member (2018–20), Membership ad-hoc Group member (2018), and Professional Certification Program Lead (2018–present).
“As a limnologist who started her career as a consulting lake management practitioner and went back to school to pursue scientific research in the academia, I cannot emphasize enough the importance for the practitioner and researcher communities and the citizens to sincerely and meaningfully work together, if their common goal is to manage lakes and watersheds effectively and sustainably. NALMS is a unique organization that has been successfully nurturing lasting and productive collaboration among practitioners, researchers, other stakeholders, and the broader community with the shared passion to protect our precious water resources. I have always been impressed by the diverse talents among NALMS members and, more importantly, inspired by their enthusiasm and willingness to generously share their time and expertise to support the mission of NALMS.
The last 1.5 years have thrown many challenges to NALMS as well as its individual members, but these hardships also brought to us renewed appreciation of lakes, nature, friends and family, and community and made us reevaluate what matters to us most. As the Professional Certification Program Lead, I interacted with members of the public interested in a new career involving lakes as their previous careers no longer fit their new priorities in life. A good number of early to mid-career lake professionals have been applying for their initial certification despite (or because of) the lockdowns, most likely as they took stock of their careers during that time. I also noticed that new certification applicants come from more diverse backgrounds, including where they received their academic and on-the-job training and the current place of employment. This is a subtle but important sign that NALMS is making progress towards its goal to increase participation by individuals who come from beyond the traditional NALMS circle.
As President-Elect, I will strive to help make NALMS a safe, welcoming, diverse, and inclusive environment for everyone where our collective knowledge and skills in lake and watershed management make a positive impact on our shared and irreplaceable water resources. This, in turn, will help NALMS grow its membership and enhance its financial stability, which will enable it to achieve even bigger goals!”
Nicole White is a conservation biologist with over 15 years of experience in water quality monitoring, riparian land protection, and invasive species management. She has worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation managing aquatic invasive species for the past several years. Nicole owns an environmental consulting firm which has contracted with the Westchester County Soil & Water Conservation District, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank. Previously she served as Associate Director of the Catskill Center for Conservation & Development. She enjoys working with a variety of stakeholders in complex watersheds. She earned a B.S. in Conservation Biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry.
“As Region 2 Director, I would like to 1) grow a diverse and active membership; 2) increase government agency participation with NALMS, particularly to address threats from aquatic invasive species; and 3) create an outreach initiative so first-time riparian landowners can become good stewards.”
Victoria Chraïbi is an assistant professor of biological sciences at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She teaches courses in limnology, aquatic ecology, and phycology. She received an M.S. in water resources science from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Ph.D. in earth and atmospheric sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As a paleolimnologist, past research includes Lake Memphrémagog, Lake Superior, and lakes in Yellowstone National Park, while current research focuses on Texas streams and reservoirs. Victoria also specializes in science education and outreach in collaboration with nonprofits, state parks, and educational organizations to develop activities about water resources.
“I first joined NALMS in 2011 as a student, and for the past decade the society has been instrumental in my early career. I joined the NALMS Board of Directors in 2018, where I serve as Parliamentarian. I am pleased for the opportunity to continue to represent the south-central states, Mexico, and beyond for another term. In the next three years, I propose to support JEDI initiatives developed by the society and to encourage the involvement of Region 6 in programs like Lakes Appreciation Month and the Secchi Dip-in.”
Mark Rosenkranz has been the NALMS Region 10 representative since 2018 and in that time has served as temporary Chair of the Communications Committee; served on the Conference Committee and Development Committee; and has been Chair of the JEDI Program since its inception as a committee in 2018. During his time on the Board, he has helped edit the Operations Manual and worked with the JEDI Program to ensure DEI is included in all aspects of NALMS.
Mark has been the staff Limnologist with Lake Oswego Corporation since 2002 managing water quality on an urban lake in the Portland Oregon metropolitan area. He received a master’s in environmental management from the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs at Portland State University and is a Certified Lake Manager with NALMS.
“My work with the JEDI Program at NALMS has been very rewarding and we have made significant progress towards our goal of promoting diversity in membership and Board representation. We have worked to ensure DEI is addressed in conference planning and outreach efforts, while looking for opportunities to connect with underserved communities and invite them to participate. There is still a lot of work ahead and I look forward to three more years of collaboration and outreach to achieve these goals.”
Jay Toews, a registered Professional Biologist and Chartered/Professional Chemist, is owner of Toews Environmental Consulting & Aquatic Sciences, independently providing specialist advisor and project management services since 2015. Previously the Western/Northwestern Canada Water and Natural Resources Lead for a major engineering firm, Jay has developed collaborative relationships with the limnological community and amassed diverse experience across Canada and internationally over his 26-year career. Jay prioritizes public engagement, which tends to keep questions (“public education opportunities”) coming long after projects are theoretically completed. Jay volunteers as scientific advisor to A Rocha Manitoba and the Riding Mountain UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
“When I introduced myself to NALMS in 2016 in Banff, I was impressed by the organization’s focus and effectiveness in bringing together researchers, professionals, managers, and lay practitioners; in other words, developing practical solutions from sound science, which has long been a guiding principle in my work. Across western Canada, I see stakeholders struggling to find the guidance they need to make informed decisions around their lakes and watersheds. While I will always continue to promote NALMS to the stakeholder groups I interact with, I will be honoured to serve in a more formal role to advance knowledge and the presence of NALMS in western Canada.”
Lauren Knose is the current Student Director and seeking re-election. As the Chair for Student Programs, she has reinstated the Student Video Contest, developed a StoryMap highlighting NALMS students, and is planning student activities for the 2021 NALMS Symposium and the 2022 Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting. As a member of the 314 Working Group, she has worked to raise awareness on the lack of funds for lakes and bringing federal funding back to the Section 314 Clean Lakes Program. She is acquiring her PhD in EEEB at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, studying the causes of harmful cyanobacteria blooms in lakes.
“As the Student Director, I pledged to find support and opportunities for recognizing students. I have been fulfilling this pledge by developing the NALMS Student StoryMap to raise the profiles of NALMS students; organizing the free professional development workshop for students at the 2021 NALMS Symposium; re-instituting the Student Video Series Contest with a $500 prize each for students in the US and Canada and finding new donors and sponsors for Student Programs. I still believe that students are essential in identifying, communicating, and addressing the challenges facing lakes and will continue raising student voices, participation, and support.”