KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Principal Chief Coker

Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware

Chief Coker has been involved with Tribal Leadership of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware since 1996. Because of his collaboration with the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office and the Federal Census Bureau, the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware was awarded a ‘State Designated Tribal Area’ status allowing Tribal Citizens to include their Tribal affiliation on the 2010 Census for the first time in history. At Chief Coker’s urging, on August 4, 2016, Delaware’s Governor, Jack Markell, signed legislation officially recognizing the long and continued history of the Lenape Community in the state of Delaware.

Chief Coker continues to serve on several boards focusing on the Humanities and the Environment which has allowed him to effect progress towards recognition of the Native Human Rights of all tribes within the region. His representation within the National Congress of the American Indian (NCIA) and founding membership in the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET) has brought recognition, furthered understandings, and developed collaborations for the betterment of Delmarva’s Tribal communities. Chief Coker’s leadership has resulted in the Delaware’s General Assembly proclamation that all residents celebrate November as Native American Heritage Month and learn to honor the Native People of the Delmarva region.

Jennifer Holmes

Coastal Regulatory Programs Manager,  DNREC, Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy, Coastal Programs Section

Prior to her current position, Jennifer has held various positions within Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) including the natural areas program manager for Delaware State Parks, the federal consistency coordinator for Coastal Programs, the coastal training coordinator and education coordinator for the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program manager obtaining environmental permits for the Drainage Program, and an environmental scientist with the Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands Section (now Wetlands and Waterways Section). In addition to her career at DNREC, she worked as an environmental consultant obtaining state and federal permits and conducting wetland/stream mitigation and monitoring as it relates to wetland and waterway impacts. Additionally, Jennifer has taught middle school, high school, and college level courses.  Ms. Holmes earned a Master of Science degree in natural resources management with a specialization in wetland ecology from the Ohio State University in Ohio and a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science with a minor in communications from Salem-Teikyo University (now Salem University) in West Virginia.

Martin Posey, PhD

Professor Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Martin Posey is currently a Professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has been at UNC Wilmington since 1989, serving ~18 years in various administrative roles including Chair of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW’s Accreditation Coordinator, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and Director of the Center for Marine Science. Before coming to UNCW, he served as Visiting Scientist / Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. His research interests include community and trophic dynamics; benthic ecology; crustacean and oyster fisheries and ecology; aspects of shellfish aquaculture; reef habitat structure and function; impacts of disturbance, long-term trends in benthic community structure; and anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystems including sediment removal, beach renourishment, water quality, and shoreline stabilization. He has been an author on 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications and PI or co-PI on greater than $14 million in external funding. Dr. Posey has been involved with numerous management-related groups at the national and state level, including an appointment to the NC Marine Fisheries Commission, Chair of the NC Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Steering Committee during the 5-year update of the plan, service on the Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel as well as several fisheries advisory committees, and participation in various national and state resource development and management organizations. He was also a Commissioner/Trustee for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Dr. Posey and colleagues continue to work closely with regional community groups.