MARCO Management Board Member Spotlight – New Board Chair, Kim Cole
As part of an effort to help MARCO stakeholders and partners get to know members of the MARCO Management Board, the quarterly newsletter is adding a new feature – “Spotlight on a Management Board Member.” To kick things off, this spotlight is on MARCO’s newest Management Board Chair, Kimberly Cole.
Ms. Cole, Administrator for the Delaware Coastal Programs Section and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, transitioned into this role on July 1, 2021. She will serve as MARCO Management Board Chair until July 1, 2023.
Kim brings over 20 years of work experience on marine, estuarine and coastal management issues from scientific and policy perspectives. Prior to becoming Administrator she served as the Manager for the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve. Before that she spent eight years as an Environmental Scientist with the Delaware Coastal Management Program. Kim has a passion for coastal issues and looks forward to working collaboratively with the MARCO Management Board.
Learn more about Kim in her own words from the interview for the Spotlight.
Name: Kimberly Cole
Title: Administrator for the Delaware Coastal Programs Section
Organization: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Years on Management Board: 3.5
MARCO Role: MARCO Management Board Chair
(July 2021-June 2022)
Work Groups: Ocean Mapping and Data Team; Offshore Renewable Energy Collaborative; Maritime Commerce and Navigation Safety; Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean
Contact: Kimberly.Cole@delaware.gov
Job Duties: I oversee the management, planning, and leadership for the Coastal Programs Section at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control which serves as the department’s research, education, and policy lead for coastal and ocean issues. It helps manage Delaware’s federal coastal zone, and balances the use and protection of its resources through the integrated efforts of the Delaware Coastal Management Program, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Regional Ocean Partnerships.
Most Fun, Most Challenging: As the administrator, my job is to ensure everyone else has the resources they need to do their jobs. The best part of my job is that there isn’t a “typical day,” and there are lots of things to learn and challenges to take on. Sometimes the most challenging part of my job is that there isn’t a “typical day,” and there are lots of things to learn and challenges to take on. Probably the most rewarding aspect is the making and building of true collaborative partnerships.
Why Ocean Resource Management?: Some of my earliest memories are with my family going down the shore swimming, jumping or diving under the waves, beachcombing, climbing the rocks on jetties, catching fish for dinner, taking the boat out crabbing or clamming (by foot), and trying (not very successfully) to water ski. I was hooked at a young age and have been fortunate to be able to align my career with something I’m passionate about – our ocean. My hope is that through our work we can ensure that others can have those same experiences with the resource and have lifelong memories with their families.
Most Pressing Ocean Resource Issue: The most pressing issue is balancing the multiple uses of limited resources. The ocean is a busy place so finding the right balance between its use and protection is a big task that requires a lot of coordination across the region.
Hope for the Future: I’m looking forward to building upon existing partnerships and developing new ones here at home within Delaware as well as regionally and nationally that enable us to support an ecologically sustainable blue economy.
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