{"id":32983,"date":"2026-01-30T16:55:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?p=32983"},"modified":"2026-02-06T12:29:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T17:29:03","slug":"winter-2026-executive-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026-executive-director\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Executive Director"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers.png\" data-fullsize=\"2306x1352\" data-zoom=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1024x600.png\" alt=\"image: Rich Inlet.\" class=\"wp-image-29589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1024x600.png 1024w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-768x450.png 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1536x901.png 1536w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-2048x1201.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people may consider winter a time of hibernation, a slowing of life &#8212; and maybe a quieter season as colder weather moves us inside more often than not. However, for our North Carolina Sea Grant team and partners, this winter has been a hive of activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re grateful to you all for your strong support for our program, which has resulted in consistent federal support for both last year and this. Your support has been heard across the state and the nation. Within the Sea Grant national network, your support has echoed loudly through your sharing of the positive impacts for our coastal communities, economies, and the environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may know from our&nbsp;<em>Coastwatch<\/em>&nbsp;articles, news stories, and social media, North Carolina Sea Grant annually contributes to significant research and extension programming across our core focus areas: healthy coastal habitats, resilient communities and economies, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and education and workforce development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259.jpg\" data-fullsize=\"1200x1200\" data-zoom=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"image: Susan White.\" class=\"wp-image-33001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Susan White.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our program\u2019s collective positive effects of the past year are notable indeed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>$1,608,830 in economic impacts in North Carolina;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>137 North Carolina Sea Grant-supported graduates who became employed in a job related to their degree within two years of graduation;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>20 business created, supporting our communities; and,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>7,300 students who participated in North Carolina Sea Grant supported formal education programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\" id=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\">This edition of&nbsp;<em>Coastwatch<\/em><\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;includes just some examples of the impacts of our program and partners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ready, Set, Resilience project\u2019s support for middle schoolers facing upheaval;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Sea Grant-Coastal Federation partnership promoting shellfish aquaculture;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mountains-to-Sea fellow Ella Moore&#8217;s project to track landfill leachate;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anne Smiley and Sea Grant\u2019s inaugural Coastal Resilience Team Competition winners\u2019 latest study on wetlands at New Bern;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sea Grant-Space Grant fellow Megan Geesin&#8217;s new study on shoreline changes at the Rachel Carson Reserve;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Our research partnership investigating North Carolina\u2019s blue crab population.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM-1024x562.png\" alt=\"cover: Winter 2026 Coastwatch.\" class=\"wp-image-32972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM-1024x562.png 1024w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM.png 1352w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Cover photo credit: \u00a9 2024 Justin Kase Conder, usage with express permission only.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s impacts started decades ago, and we are sad to share that one of our early leaders, B.J. Copeland, director from 1973 to 1993, passed away on January 14.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B.J. was known far and wide across the state. He brought North Carolina Sea Grant to fruition, served on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, and volunteered in his church and community, among many other contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can read about his life and achievements&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.donaldsonfunerals.com\/obituary\/BJ-Copeland#obituary\"><strong>in his obituary<\/strong><\/a>, and you can read about his&nbsp;&nbsp;contributions to North Carolina Sea Grant in the <em>Coastwatch<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/north-carolina-sea-grant-making-coastal-science-count-for-25-years\/\"><strong>story celebrating the program\u2019s 25th anniversary<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We celebrate B.J. Copeland\u2019s life and also look ahead as we move through 2026. We\u2019re anticipating another great year, with your support and engagement leading our collective path forward. Of note, we\u2019re again delighted to announce the return of the North Carolina Coastal Conference in November. For the latest conference updates, stay tuned to North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s news, social media, and <em>Coastwatch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, if you have perspectives and suggestions that you\u2019d like to share, please let me know at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:snwhite3@ncsu.edu\"><strong>snwhite3@ncsu.edu<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">&#8212; <strong>Susan White, Executive Director<br>North Carolina Sea Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"is-text wp-block-ncst-buttons\">\n    \n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-button\">\n      <a\n        class=\"ncst-block__button-link btn\"\n        href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\"\n        data-ncst-lightbox=\"false\"\n                      >\n                  <span class=\"text\">from WINTER 2026<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"><svg class=\"wolficon wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" role=\"img\"  aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\">\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n              <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header {\"block\":\"ncst\/default-post-header\"} -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-post-header {\"caption\":\"\",\"subtitle\":\"\\u003cstrong\\u003eWinter 2026: A Hive of Activity\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\"} \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"align\":\"right\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":29589,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"media\",\"align\":\"wide\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers.png\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1024x600.png\" alt=\"image: Rich Inlet.\" class=\"wp-image-29589\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Some people may consider winter a time of hibernation, a slowing of life -- and maybe a quieter season as colder weather moves us inside more often than not. However, for our North Carolina Sea Grant team and partners, this winter has been a hive of activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>We\u2019re grateful to you all for your strong support for our program, which has resulted in consistent federal support for both last year and this. Your support has been heard across the state and the nation. Within the Sea Grant national network, your support has echoed loudly through your sharing of the positive impacts for our coastal communities, economies, and the environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As you may know from our&nbsp;<em>Coastwatch<\/em>&nbsp;articles, news stories, and social media, North Carolina Sea Grant annually contributes to significant research and extension programming across our core focus areas: healthy coastal habitats, resilient communities and economies, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and education and workforce development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":33001,\"sizeSlug\":\"medium\",\"linkDestination\":\"media\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259.jpg\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/20241113_white_susan002-e1733258843259-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"image: Susan White.\" class=\"wp-image-33001\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Susan White.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Our program\u2019s collective positive effects of the past year are notable indeed:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>$1,608,830 in economic impacts in North Carolina;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>137 North Carolina Sea Grant-supported graduates who became employed in a job related to their degree within two years of graduation;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>20 business created, supporting our communities; and,<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>7,300 students who participated in North Carolina Sea Grant supported formal education programs.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\" id=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\">This edition of&nbsp;<em>Coastwatch<\/em><\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;includes just some examples of the impacts of our program and partners:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>The Ready, Set, Resilience project\u2019s support for middle schoolers facing upheaval;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>The Sea Grant-Coastal Federation partnership promoting shellfish aquaculture;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Mountains-to-Sea fellow Ella Moore's project to track landfill leachate;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Anne Smiley and Sea Grant\u2019s inaugural Coastal Resilience Team Competition winners\u2019 latest study on wetlands at New Bern;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Sea Grant-Space Grant fellow Megan Geesin's new study on shoreline changes at the Rachel Carson Reserve;<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Our research partnership investigating North Carolina\u2019s blue crab population.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"lightbox\":{\"enabled\":false},\"id\":32972,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"custom\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3.56.52-PM-1024x562.png\" alt=\"cover: Winter 2026 Coastwatch.\" class=\"wp-image-32972\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Cover photo credit: \u00a9 2024 Justin Kase Conder, usage with express permission only.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s impacts started decades ago, and we are sad to share that one of our early leaders, B.J. Copeland, director from 1973 to 1993, passed away on January 14.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>B.J. was known far and wide across the state. He brought North Carolina Sea Grant to fruition, served on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, and volunteered in his church and community, among many other contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>You can read about his life and achievements&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.donaldsonfunerals.com\/obituary\/BJ-Copeland#obituary\"><strong>in his obituary<\/strong><\/a>, and you can read about his&nbsp;&nbsp;contributions to North Carolina Sea Grant in the <em>Coastwatch<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/north-carolina-sea-grant-making-coastal-science-count-for-25-years\/\"><strong>story celebrating the program\u2019s 25th anniversary<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>We celebrate B.J. Copeland\u2019s life and also look ahead as we move through 2026. We\u2019re anticipating another great year, with your support and engagement leading our collective path forward. Of note, we\u2019re again delighted to announce the return of the North Carolina Coastal Conference in November. For the latest conference updates, stay tuned to North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s news, social media, and <em>Coastwatch<\/em>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As always, if you have perspectives and suggestions that you\u2019d like to share, please let me know at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:snwhite3@ncsu.edu\"><strong>snwhite3@ncsu.edu<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"align\":\"right\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">-- <strong>Susan White, Executive Director<br>North Carolina Sea Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/buttons -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/button {\"url\":\"https%3A%2F%2Fncseagrant.ncsu.edu%2Fcoastwatch%2Fwinter-2026%2F\",\"text\":\"from WINTER 2026\"} \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/buttons -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>. Some people may consider winter a time of hibernation, a slowing of life &#8212; and maybe a quieter season as colder weather moves us inside more often than not.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Susan White","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"caption\":\"\",\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"<strong>Winter 2026: A Hive of Activity<\/strong>\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-32983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From the Executive Director - Coastwatch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026-executive-director\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the Executive Director - Coastwatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\". Some people may consider winter a time of hibernation, a slowing of life &#8212; and maybe a quieter season as colder weather moves us inside more often than not.&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026-executive-director\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Coastwatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-30T21:55:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T17:29:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1024x600.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dave Shaw\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dave Shaw\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dave Shaw\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9462183c95cb42509aed4d3346e43fe1\"},\"headline\":\"From the Executive Director\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-30T21:55:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T17:29:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":539,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/13\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/Rich-Inlet-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-1024x600.png\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\\\/coastwatch\\\/winter-2026-executive-director\\\/\",\"name\":\"From the Executive Director - 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