Valerie Cleland is a graduate of UWC Atlantic in Wales. She serves as Senior Manager, Oceans with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC, where she manages a team focused on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries management, offshore energy, and marine mammal work. Previously, Valerie was a NOAA Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellow with the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. She also worked as an environmental scientist and policy analyst for 48 North Solutions in Seattle, and as lead instructor with the REI Outdoor School Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental science and international relations from Tufts University and her master’s degree in marine affairs at the University of Washington.