STEVE HESS

STEVE HESS was born and raised in western Upstate New York. He grew up fishing in the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and southern Ontario, Canada. After working for the federal government in the late 1960’s, Steve moved to south Florida to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology and marine sciences, culminating in a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography. Subsequent to his academic and research efforts, Steve pursued a 30-year career in environmental consulting. He worked with aquatic organisms, freshwater, estuarine, and marine water quality, sediment, habitat characterization, invasive species control, ecological and public health assessment, risk assessments, site contamination assessment and remediation, greenhouse gas emission assessments, air emissions and effluent reductions, regulatory compliance, and permitting. Steve worked in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands, Mexico, and Central and South America. As a consultant, Steve was a Principal Scientist and Partner, working on project management, proposal preparation, and marketing. After retiring in 2014, Steve relocated to Hendersonville, North Carolina. Since then, he has pursued certification as a Blue Ridge Naturalist through North Carolina University at the North Carolina Arboretum. A pre-requisite for certification was the completion of a detailed Lake Management Plan for Rhododendron Lake Nature Park, a restored lake and habitat in Laurel Park, North Carolina. Steve’s academic and professional experience has instilled a deep appreciation, understanding, and advocacy for habitat preservation and restoration, as well as sustaining biodiversity. Steve can be reached at NC@NativeFishCoalition.org