Our Team

Estuary Program Staff

Melodie Grubbs

Executive Director

Melodie Grubbs

Executive Director

Melodie leads program efforts and brings together partners to help further the mission of protecting and restoring Morro Bay. She is passionate about coastal habitat restoration and conservation and brings experience from working with Sea Grant, the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program, and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo.

Ann Kitajima

Assistant Director

Ann Kitajima

Assistant Director

Her responsibilities include grant writing and grant management, strategic planning, and administrative functions. Formerly the Monitoring Program Manager for the organization, she continues to provide support in monitoring planning and protocol development.

Chrystina Kelly Newton

Finance & Operations Administrator

Chrystina Kelly Newton

Finance & Operations Administrator

Chrystina manages the financial and administrative operations of the Estuary Program. She works in tandem with the Estuary Program’s directors and the Bay Foundation Board to meet the administrative conditions and compliance requirements for awarded grants. She also ensures EPA grant match compliance and coordinates our annual external Single Audit (OMB Circular A-133). In her spare time, Chrystina enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughters and is working on her MBA in Organizational Leadership.

Carolyn Geraghty

Restoration Program Manager

Carolyn Geraghty

Restoration Program Manager

Develops and oversees watershed and estuarine restoration projects and conservation efforts. Prior to joining the Estuary Program, Carolyn was an Environmental Scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute supporting research of river and estuarine environments. Before that, she worked as the Restoration Director for the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust and oversaw implementation of stream restoration projects. She has worked on a variety of aquatic ecology and water quality monitoring studies with The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, and USGS. Carolyn received a Masters in Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley focusing on watershed science. Her research evaluated stream restoration projects to inform restoration practices and planning in Oregon’s Klamath Basin. She also holds a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Aquinas College, MI.

Jenn Fields

Restoration Coordinator

Jenn at the field chemistry lab for studying the effects of climate change on tidepool ecosystem functioning at Otter Rock in Oregon for her master's research.

Jenn Fields

Restoration Coordinator

Jenn coordinates and supports watershed and estuarine restoration projects at the Estuary Program. Jenn received a B.A. in Environmental Analysis from Pitzer College in 2015 and a Master’s of Science in Biology from California State University, Northridge in 2020. Her thesis work focused on the effects of climate change on Oregon tidepool ecosystem functioning. She was a California Sea Grant State Fellow at the State Coastal Conservancy in 2021, where she supported their Climate Ready Program and the Central Coast Climate Collaborative. Before that, Jenn worked with AmeriCorps and NatureBridge conducting environmental education, fisheries, estuarine, and habitat restoration projects. In her free time, you can find Jenn planning elaborate trail run adventures and contemplating how everything is connected.

Kendra Twist

Monitoring Technician

Kendra Twist

Monitoring Technician

Kendra assists in the collection and management of water quality data throughout the watershed. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Marine Ecology. While in school, she participated in a tropical marine ecology research program in South East Asia studying coral resilience and adaptations to climate change. Before joining the team, she worked for the Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program (CCAMP) monitoring stream health in our local watersheds. When Kendra’s not working, you can find her in the ocean or exploring the Central Coast’s beautiful coastline.

Sam Lance

Environmental Planning Intern

Sam Lance

Environmental Planning Intern

During her time at MBNEP, Sam has curated and organized past project data to develop informative public web pages. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Earth Science from WashU and is set to complete her master’s at the Bren School next spring. With a specialization in Conservation Planning and Water Resources Management, Sam is eager to apply her technical expertise to safeguard freshwater resources. Outside of work, she enjoys soaking up the California sun, often spending her free time biking and running around Santa Barbara.

Makenzie O'Connor

Monitoring Projects Manager

Makenzie O'Connor

Monitoring Projects Manager

Makenzie coordinates ongoing monitoring in the watershed through collaboration with local partners, agencies, and volunteers. Makenzie received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Ecology with a minor in Outdoor Adventure Leadership in 2015. Since then, she has worked in a variety of ecosystems, from salmon-bearing waters on the Klamath River, to the snow-covered slopes of the Truckee-Tahoe area. Outside of work, you can usually find Makenzie on her mountain bike or going on long hikes with her dog, Josie.

Nick Soares

Monitoring Coordinator II

Nick Soares

Monitoring Coordinator II

Nick is responsible for coordinating sampling events conducted within the estuary and generating a variety of water quality reports. He graduated from Cal Poly with a B.S. in Marine Sciences and minored in Statistics and Environmental Studies. While at Cal Poly, he worked as a research assistant studying phytoplankton and nearshore rockfish populations. Nick has lived in SLO County for most of his life and spends much of his free time surfing the local beach breaks.

Allie Mortensen

Monitoring Technician

Allie Mortensen

Monitoring Technician

Allie assists in performing monitoring fieldwork and lab work for sites throughout the watershed. She is currently a 4th year Environmental Management and Protection major at Cal Poly and has a sustainable environments minor. In addition to working for MBNEP, Allie also works for the Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability Department at Cal Poly where she engages with on and off campus entities to educate about all things sustainability. She previously volunteered with MBNEP during bioassessment season, and is very excited to be a part of the monitoring team! Outside of work, Allie enjoys developing new dessert recipes and hiking with her foster dog.

Riley Hine

Community Engagement Projects Manager

Riley Hine

Community Engagement Projects Manager

Riley manages the Estuary Program's outreach efforts, events, development, communications efforts and social media pages, and oversees the education components of our program. She has Bachelors degrees in Geography and Anthropology and a GIS certificate from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from Western Washington University. She has experience in outdoor education, wilderness therapy, international trip leading, higher education, and has done various fieldwork, including her graduate thesis work on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Forest Lurz

Education & Outreach Coordinator

Forest Lurz

Education & Outreach Coordinator

Forest was born and raised on the Central Coast, and received their Bachelor's in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz in 2015. Since graduating, they have had a variety of jobs in the outdoors and education, most recently as a naturalist at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria. They are looking forward to combining their passions for education and community engagement in this role!

Sabrina Chase

Community Engagement & Education Intern

Sabrina Chase

Community Engagement & Education Intern

Sabrina is currently a first-year student at Cal Poly SLO, studying Agriculture Communications with a minor in Agribusiness. During her first year, Sabrina has worked for Cal Poly programs to teach science in elementary classrooms. She has experience in science education, working with youth, and communications and advertising. Sabrina is eager to do her part in protecting the estuary and excited to be a part of the MBNEP team!

Our Team

Estuary Program Staff

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