Jeff Benoit

President and CEO, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Jeff Benoit is the President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. He has over 28 years of experience and leadership in coastal management and marine conservation. A coastal geomorphologist by training, Jeff started his career with the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, first as a coastal geologist, and then as Director. From 1993 to 2001 Jeff served as Director of NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) where he had responsibility for the National Coastal Zone Management Program, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and National Marine Sanctuaries. Jeff has served on two National Research Council Committee’s: 1) Review of the Restoration of Coastal Louisiana; and 2) Mitigating Shore Erosion along Sheltered Coasts.

In his spare time, Jeff enjoys reading Clive Cussler novels, working on an endless list of projects around the house, creating culinary delights for friends to enjoy, and volunteers as Past President of The Coastal Society - a professional organization of coastal and marine professionals.

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Geology from Southampton College and a Master’s Degree in Geophysical Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology/Skidaway Institute of Oceanography.

Elsa Carlisle

Senior Director of Restoration and Administration, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
West Coast Office

Elsa L Carlisle began her career with the RAE family in 2000 as a Manatee Watch intern for Tampa Bay Watch, one of RAE's member organizations. In 2004, Elsa was reintroduced to RAE when she was hired to work at RAE's 3rd National Conference. Now as the Senior Director of Restoration, Elsa manages RAE's national restoration program and oversees the more than 100 restoration projects our 11 member groups undertake each year. Prior to working for RAE, Elsa worked in the San Juan Islands for the Samish Indian Nation, working on a variety of projects from salmon restoration to shorelines stabilization. Elsa has a Masters of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington. When not saving the nation's estuaries, Elsa enjoys sailing, traveling the world, and spending time in sunny Seattle.

Harvey Potts

Senior Director of Development and Marketing, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
West Coast Office

Harvey Potts joined Restore America's Estuaries in 2005, as Senior Director of Development. Harvey oversees all RAE's national fundraising and marketing initiatives, including management of foundation, corporate, government, individual, and special event support.  Harvey has worked for more than twenty years in the environmental sector, in various capacities within federal agencies and nonprofit conservation organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation, Washington National Park Fund, Metro ParksTacoma, among others.

Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Harvey served three years in the U.S. Peace Corps, working in Poland's Bialowieza National Park (second oldest national park to Yellowstone).  Harvey attended Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State, where he completed both his undergraduate studies and a master’s degree in Environmental Education and Planning.

Outside of work, Harvey enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, world travel, pretending to be a professional photographer, and playing with his weimaraners – Myszka and Sasha.

Steve Emmett-Mattox

Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Programs, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Steve Emmett-Mattox has been with Restore America’s Estuaries since 2000 – as Program Director, Development Director, Vice President and Strategic Programs Lead. He currently leads new initiatives for RAE, including strategic efforts in the areas of estuary economics and the connections between coastal habitat restoration and climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation. Steve has more than twenty years of experience in environmental protection and conservation, leading program efforts for the Environmental Law Institute, the Institute for Conservation Leadership, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Steve got his start in the conservation community as an intern with the National Wildlife Federation. He has a Masters degree in Environmental Ethics from the University of North Texas. He enjoys yoga, trail running, gardening, and spending time with his family in Niwot, Colorado, where he serves on the Board of his son’s school.

Kimberly Burke

Business Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Kimberly Burke joined the RAE team in March of 2009 as the Business Manager, overseeing the daily operations of the RAE national office. Prior to her arrival at RAE, Kimberly spent over six years working as the Operations and Personnel Manager for an international wholesale apparel company. A native of estuary-rich St. Louis, Kimberly moved to Northern Virginia in 1997 and graduated from George Mason University. Kimberly is an animal lover and volunteers with various welfare and conservation groups. In her spare time she also enjoys reading, spending time with family, beachcombing the south New Jersey shore, and cheering on her St. Louis Cardinals.

Diane Hoskins

Director of Government Relations, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Diane serves as the liaison to the U.S. Congress and federal agencies for coastal habitat restoration policy and funding. Previously, Diane worked for The Nature Conservancy’s government relations department developing advocacy strategies and implementing national legislative campaigns. In that capacity she helped launch the organization’s “grasstops” advocacy initiative and organized TNC’s largest fly-in program.Diane also spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer and worked for a microfinance organization in West Africa. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland with a degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics. A DC-area native, politics has always been close to home having worked and volunteered on countless state and national campaigns. Diane grew up sailing and crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay and loves getting outdoors as much as possible.

Meg Beiter

Development Associate, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Meg Beiter joined Restore America's Estuaries as Development Associate in January 2010. Previously, she worked for The School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center (New York) and the Arlington County (Virginia) Chapter of the American Red Cross. As a native of Washington, DC, Meg has grown up enjoying the Chesapeake Bay and all it has to offer. During college, Meg was introduced to water skiing and sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. She loves traveling and completed research for her master's thesis in Angola, Africa. Meg enjoys spending time with her family, including her twin sister and their cat, Nuno. She has a natural passion for mechanics and likes fixing things.

Meg holds a master's degree in Public Administration from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Suzanne Giles Simon

Strategic Projects Coordinator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

Suzanne is the Strategic Projects Coordinator for Restore America’s Estuaries. She has spent more than 15 years working on coastal, marine, and estuarine issues in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. An estuarine scientist by training, she started her career at an oceanographic consulting firm in the Pacific Northwest. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in DC’s non-profit sector, including a two-year period as RAE’s National Policy and Science Director. A move to Florida prompted a switch back to the private sector, where she once again joined a consulting firm and developed an expertise about Florida’s ecosystems and drinking water issues. She re-joined RAE in 2009.

Chasing after a toddler with her husband provides Suzanne with exercise and entertainment during her “down” time. In those rare moments when she can, she thoroughly enjoys a good book.

Suzanne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Bates College and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in marine and estuarine science from Western Washington University.

Howard White

Communications Specialist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Office

As communications specialist, Howard oversees media relations, Restore America’s Estuaries website content and management, produces the RAE newsletter, and serves as a liaison to RAE’s 11 member organizations. Howard is a former media relations director for the Humane Society of the United States, and has worked on a broad variety of animal, environmental, and conservation campaigns. His interests include kayaking, backpacking, racquetball, and paleontology. Widely travelled, he has been stalked by lions on the Masai Mara, hiked through Costa Rica, and snorkeled with sea lions, sharks, and penguins in the Galapagos. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and lives and dies each fall Saturday with the fate of his beloved Wolverines football team.