Oregon Sea Grant

Jessi Kershner is the Associate Director for Extension & Engagement at Oregon Sea Grant.

Jessi brings more than 15 years of experience working at the intersection of science and policy to improve the conservation and management of natural resources. She has expertise in workshop design and facilitation, project and program management, translating and synthesizing complex science information into a variety of products, and communicating climate impacts, adaptation, and mitigation to diverse audiences.

Jessi earned a master’s degree in marine science and policy from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After completing her master's, Jessi worked as a program coordinator for a non-profit, helping organizations, agencies, and communities engage in climate adaptation planning and implementation. Prior to joining Oregon Sea Grant, Jessi coordinated water and climate initiatives for the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), a state grant-making agency. In her role at OWEB, Jessi led the agency’s efforts to develop climate evaluation criteria for its grant-making, tracked and analyzed natural resources policy proposals, managed grants, and developed processes to include diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice principles in water and climate initiatives. Other previous experience includes designing a monitoring framework and identifying indicators to track the implementation and effectiveness of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Strategic Science Plan and evaluating the social, economic, and environmental effects of federal stimulus funding in rural communities.