2024 Mainstage Speakers At-A-Glance

Dr. E. Jamie Trammell is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Sustainability at Southern Oregon University and an expert in Scenario Thinking, the overarching theme of this year’s Innovation Summit. Businesses, agencies, and communities need better tools to prepare for the future. Dr. Trammell will introduce Summit attendees to Scenario Thinking and explore plausible future scenarios for local, regional, and state-wide economies, communities, and industries.

Chad VanOrmer is the Deputy Regional Forester for the Alaska Region of the U.S. Forest Service. He will provide an overview of the Tongass Forest Plan Revision, including critical questions on what a plan revision is, why it is important, how it governs activities on the forest, and how you can be engaged in the process.

Dr. Peter Newman is the Head of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management at Penn State University and an expert on capacity. He co-leads the Protected Areas Research Collaborative (PARC), and trains MS and PhD students focused on informing visitor management on soundscapes, visitor flow, and integrated transportation. He has active studies in Acadia, Great Smokeys, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Denali, and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks. 

Rear Admiral Megan Dean assumed the duties of Commander, 17th Coast Guard District in June 2023. She is responsible for Coast Guard operations throughout Alaska, the North Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea.  Rear Admiral Dean is a 1993 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. She holds a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University and she completed the National Security Fellowship at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Her personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Achievement Medal.

Zachary Schulman has been a USCG civilian employee since 2013, most recently serving as Strategic Analyst in CG-DCO-X and director of Project Evergreen, the Service’s oldest strategic foresight initiative chartered to “infuse the Service with strategic intent.” Mr. Schulman earned his Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law, as well as a MA in Geography and BA cum laude in International Affairs and Geography from The George Washington University.