Lyndie Hice-Dunton, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance

Lyndie is a fisheries scientist with a multidisciplinary background in marine science, environmental policy, and offshore development. She came to the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) with a diverse perspective on the challenges different sectors face and their approaches to science after having worked in academia, state government, non-governmental organizations, and environmental consulting.  Her prior work includes experience conducting field work and managing year-round bottom trawl, beam trawl, and seine surveys for species such as winter flounder, striped bass, and Atlantic sturgeon. Lyndie’s offshore wind efforts have allowed her to work closely with state and federal regulatory agencies, fishing industry representatives, and offshore wind developers to identify the best science-based approaches to improve our understanding of the effects of wind energy development on fisheries and ecosystems. She holds a Doctorate in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences from Stony Brook University and a B.S. in Marine Science from Eckerd College.

Peter Hughes

Co-Chair, Board of Directors

Located in Cape May, New Jersey, Peter is the Director of Sustainability for Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. After commercial fishing for squid and mackerel on the East Coast, Peter started working for Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. in 1990. Peter is currently a voting member of the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC) and the liaison to the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC), helping them facilitate policy and the responsible stewardship of our nation’s oceans. Peter is also a founder and Chairman of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) and a board member of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS), a National Science Foundation-recognized science center, and a board member of the Fisheries Survival Fund. “Maintaining the sustainability of our living marine resources through the use of the best available science is an essential goal and one I will continue to strive to achieve.” Peter and his wife Gwen are raising two children in Stone Harbor, NJ, where they have lived for more than 30 years.

Rachel Pachter

Co-Chair, Board of Directors 

Rachel is Vineyard Wind’s Chief Development Officer. Rachel has 18 years of experience in offshore wind development, specifically in permitting and regulatory compliance; environmental and site investigation; federal, state, and local regulations; stakeholder engagement; and public relations. Rachel led and finalized the approval for the first fully permitted offshore wind farm in U.S. federal waters. Rachel oversees all of Vineyard Wind’s development, permitting, and environmental activities, as well as workforce development, community engagement, and cross-industry initiatives on environmental and fisheries matters. Rachel has a degree in Geology from the University of Alaska.

Katie Almeida

Secretary, Board of Directors 

Katie is the Fishery Policy Analyst for the Town Dock located in Point Judith, Rhode Island. The Town Dock is the largest supplier of calamari in the U.S. and owns seven otter trawl vessels that fish for longfin squid, illex squid, whiting, butterfish, fluke, scup, black sea bass, herring, and a mix of groundfish. Katie is responsible for following all state and federal regulations that pertain to the species on which the Town Dock relies. She also sits on the following New England and Massachusetts Fishery Management Council Advisory Panels: Squid/Mackerel/Butterfish, Fluke/Scup/Black Sea Bass, River Herring/Shad, and Small Mesh Multispecies, as well as the New Bedford working group for Wind Industry Issues and the Rhode Island Industry Advisory Committee. Katie is also a board member of the Responsible Offshore Developers Alliance (RODA).

Ruth Perry, Ph.D.

Treasurer, Board of Directors 

Ruth has nearly 15 years of research experience in environmental permitting advising and regulatory analysis, and in developing ocean policy, and joined Shell Exploration and Production Company as a Marine Scientist and Regulatory Specialist in 2014. Through her work, she integrates marine science and ocean technology into regulatory policy advocacy and decision-making in the areas of marine ecosystem and environments, marine spatial planning for offshore energy projects in the Americas. Ruth is also responsible for developing public-private science collaborations for expanding knowledge of the offshore environment, such as real-time monitoring of marine life with deep-sea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), integrated tracking of marine species on artificial structures, and using autonomous technologies. She has a number of publications on these collaborations. She also serves as a member of national steering and policy committees and boards, notably the National Academy of Sciences and NOAA’s Science Advisory Board.  She earned a doctorate in Oceanography from Texas A&M University in 2013 and worked for NOAA before joining Shell.

Doug Copeland

Director

Doug has worked in the renewable energy industry for more than 14 years, leading development efforts in onshore wind, solar, energy storage, and offshore wind. For Atlantic Shores, he is in charge of developing the project, as well as the overall portfolio, with a focus on the pre-financial decision phase. His work includes managing land acquisition (including for substation and Right-of-Ways), interconnection strategy, fishing outreach, external affairs, and government affairs. Prior to his career in the renewable energy industry, Doug ran a nationally recognized economic development program. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a master’s degree from Boston College.

Annie Hawkins

Director

Annie is the director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), a national coalition of fishery-dependent companies and associations dedicated to improving the compatibility of new development with their businesses. Prior to co-founding RODA, she provided government relations support to a variety of fishing industry and ocean technology clients with a Washington, D.C., law firm. She previously held positions in fisheries management and marine regulation including at the New England Fishery Management Council and NOAA’s Large Marine Ecosystems program. Throughout her career she has specialized in working with public and private sector partners to develop practical, science-based solutions to business, policy, and environmental challenges. Annie holds Juris Doctor and Master of Marine Affairs degrees from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Conservation Biology and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin.

Peter Himchak

Director

Peter began his 46-year career in marine fisheries research and management as an entry-level field biologist in 1974 with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW). As he advanced within the NJDFW, he transitioned from representing NJ on many Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Technical Committees to representing the state on many ASMFC Management Boards and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council until his retirement in 2013. He spent 39 years with NJDFW.  Following retirement, Peter became a consultant for LaMonica Fine Foods in the surf clam industry and was hired as the Senior Fishery Scientist with Omega Protein Corporation in 2015, a position he holds today.  As a ROSA board member, Peter represents Cooke Inc., a commercial fishing and aquaculture conglomerate that owns companies domestically and globally. He enjoys scuba diving with his “kids,” an activity going back to his college days, and looks forward to skiing with his grandsons this winter. 

Sophie Hartfield Lewis

Director

Sophie is an energy industry professional with more than 13 years of experience in energy project permitting, strategic planning, and stakeholder management in various markets and for various technologies. Sophie’s professional background includes experience working in various energy sectors from energy trading to conventional power station permitting to onshore and offshore wind. Sophie led and managed the team that achieved permission to build Hornsea Project Two, the world’s largest offshore wind farm at the time. Following this, Sophie managed the United Kingdom (UK) strategic and permitting team from an environmental perspective to maintain the Ørsted Portfolio of Projects, which generates more than 2.5 GW for the UK. Sophie now leads the North America Permitting, Marine Affairs, and Real Estate Department, which supports Ørsted's projects throughout the development cycle and provides strategic and project-specific advice on mitigating environmental risks, securing real estate, stakeholder management, and maritime advice, and ensures the successful progression and operation of the North America portfolio.

Scott Lundin

Director

Scott Lundin has been involved with the U.S. offshore wind industry since 2007 and is Head of Permitting – New England for Equinor.  He specializes in siting, permitting, and environmental assessment for offshore wind facilities and transmission systems. Scott began his career as a geological oceanographer and spent approximately two years at sea, conducting marine geophysics and seafloor mapping. In 2008, Scott began working for an environmental consulting firm and gained experience with environmental assessments and permitting for complex offshore infrastructure projects including offshore wind and submarine transmission systems. He is native of southern New England and earned a Bachelor of Science in geology from Northeastern University, a master's degree in geological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, and an MBA from Bryant University. Scott lives in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, with his wife and two kids. When he’s not working on offshore wind, Scott likes to cook, sail, and spend time with his family.

Mary Beth Tooley

Director

Mary Beth Tooley serves as the East Coast Government Affairs Manager for the O’Hara Corporation of Rockland, Maine, a family-held company with diverse commercial fisheries interests from the North Atlantic to the Bering Sea. Mary Beth served three terms (2008-2017) as an at-large member of the New England Fishery Management Council. She is the former executive director of the East Coast Pelagic Association and a founding principal in the Marine Resources Education Project, a federally funded fisheries education and outreach effort organized in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. She serves as an Atlantic Herring Advisory Panel member to the New England Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Mary Beth serves on several boards that support commercial fishing activities, including the Maine Fishermen’s Forum and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA). Mary Beth resides in Lincolnville, Maine.