Monitoring birds - Protecting waters - Inspiring change
Rebecca Knoche
With more than 15 years of experience in natural resource management and environmental restoration across both the public and private sectors, Rebecca Knoche brings a strong record of organization, collaboration, and team leadership. Her work is defined by an ability to bring together diverse groups of scientists and natural resource professionals to deliver meaningful, on-the-ground results.
Rebecca’s career began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, where she served as an environmental education volunteer in a small village. Following her return to the United States, she joined Numark Associates, a consulting firm specializing in environmental and energy policy, where she conducted research and policy analysis for federal and international clients.
After moving to Michigan for graduate school, Rebecca developed a deep appreciation for the beauty and ecological importance of the Great Lakes region. She went on to spend more than twelve years contributing to NOAA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), serving as Program Coordinator for this multi-million-dollar effort and helping to advance restoration and protection priorities across the basin. She later transitioned into NOAA’s Regional Coordinator role for the Great Lakes, where she worked to integrate and align the agency’s broad portfolio of science, restoration, and coastal resilience activities throughout the region.
Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) and a master’s degree in environmental policy and planning from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (Ann Arbor, MI). She now lives with her family in southern Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay.