Cayla Cothron

Bio

Cayla Cothron is North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal planning specialist, located in Raleigh on NC State’s Centennial Campus. The coastal planning specialist works collaboratively to support planning, policy, and decision-making that improves resilience and sustainability of coastal communities and ecosystems to climate impacts and other changing conditions. She connects science-based information to coastal communities, resource managers, and interest groups in North Carolina and the surrounding region, and works with university researchers, communities, and other stakeholders to translate and apply science to policy and decision-making.

Cothron has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Florida State University and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to joining Sea Grant, Cothron worked in long range community and environmental planning in both the private and public sectors in the western U.S. She has experience working with communities, government agencies, decision-makers, and other stakeholders to collaboratively address local needs across a wide variety of land use and environmental topics.

Area(s) of Expertise

Planning, policy, decision-making, climate change, resilience, sustainability, engagement