We’re pleased to welcome Erica Clites as our new Extension Program Worker serving southeast Michigan! Erica works with local communities, agencies, and other partners and networks on initiatives such as habitat restoration and coastal community development. Her district includes Wayne, Macomb, Monroe, and St. Clair counties with an office in Wayne County.
Prior to joining Michigan Sea Grant, Erica was director of the Oakland County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (Oakland County CISMA), a collaboration of over 40 county, municipal, and nonprofit partners to support functioning ecosystems and enhance quality of life through invasive species management.
In addition, Erica has worked as:
- A fossil collections manager for the University of California Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, managing a national collaboration of nine museums digitizing fossil clams and snails.
- A natural resource manager for the National Park Service, running a long-term field monitoring program for fossil dinosaur trackways along Utah’s Lake Powell to evaluate the impact of changing water levels on the trackways.
Erica earned her M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of California, Riverside, and her B.A. in Geology from the College of Wooster. She loves sharing her passion for the natural world with partners and the public, helping connect people with information they need through webinars, workshops, and conversations. She appreciates any opportunity to get outside and see how natural ecosystems really work.
Welcome to the team, Erica!
