Mirabilio Recognized for Service, Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Katie Mosher, 919-515-9069, katie_mosher@ncsu.edu

Posted Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The Natural Resources Leadership Institute, or NRLI, honored Sara Mirabilio for her contributions to the program.

A North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialist, she is cited for her “many years of support of NRLI’s mission to educate a diverse group of professionals committed to seeking consensus on issues affecting the sustainable management of North Carolina’s natural resources and improving the quality of our environment.”

NRLI is based at North Carolina State University. The 18-month leadership-development program trains participants to seek consensus from groups with differing perspectives to manage contentious natural resource issues across the state.

As a 2005 NRLI fellow, Mirabilio focused on using collaborative problem-solving and cultural models to advance management of North Carolina’s blue crab fishery.

“Her project improved communication and understanding among blue crab fishery stakeholders, refined the methodology for reducing conflict among stakeholders by integrating community-based knowledge into policy discussions, and increased recognition of the importance of collaborative learning based on cultural models,” explains Mary Lou Addor, NRLI director.

Those were lessons that have continued to benefit Sea Grant and the state, says Jack Thigpen, Sea Grant extension director.

“In her everyday work, Sara uses the skills she mastered at NRLI, resolving conflict through leadership and making better decisions through collaboration. Further, she helped to develop a mediation process for fisheries stakeholders that was adopted by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries,” notes Thigpen, himself a NRLI alumnus.

“Now, she’s sharing her knowledge with NRLI participants. She’s the ultimate resource-management professional,” he continues.

Since graduating from NRLI, Mirabilio has taught these topics to new fellows, while adding her expertise on coastal issues to the curriculum.

During its 20th anniversary celebration, NRLI also honored seven other individuals and two organizations. For more about the program, go to www.ncsu.edu/nrli/.

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