Full-time Coordinator Now on Board

The California Biodiversity Council welcomes Erin Klaesius as its Communications Coordinator. This position, formerly occupied by Karen Hirsch, has been expanded to a full-time commitment. Duties include managing editor of the California Biodiversity News, maintaining the Council’s website, and coordinating the logistics of CBC’s regional meetings.

Erin graduated this June from the University of California at Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology and Management. She spent the latter half of her college career working with Dr. Paul A. Sabatier and Dr. James F. Quinn on the Watershed Partnerships Project (WPP). This project is actively seeking to quantitatively define the factors that most often spell success for watershed partnerships in both California and Washington. With WPP, Erin held the position of Office Manager while taking courses that ranged from public land management and environmental law to hydrology and conservation genetics.

Although Erin has spent the last four years living and working around Sacramento and Davis, she grew up on the Central Coast, just north of San Luis Obispo.

In addition to the newly expanded responsibilities, Erin also staffs the help desk, handling questions and requests for information about the Council. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 227-2661, or via e-mail at erin_klaesius@fire.ca.gov.