Former Ocean and Coastal Policy Director for President Obama Brings National Leadership Experience and Mentorship to CELS
By Gabriella Placido, CELS Communications Fellow
Dr. Whitley Saumweber’s deep appreciation for the ocean began in his childhood and took him all the way to the White House. “I always had an emotional connection and intellectual curiosity in marine science,” says Saumweber, former associate director of Ocean and Coastal Policy in President Obama’s White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). He’s currently a Visiting Professor in the Marine Affairs Department at the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS).
Saumweber grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. where family visits to the beach were a core part of his childhood, fostering an innate connection to ocean stewardship and national politics. He attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland where he studied marine biology along with the Chesapeake BayAfter graduation, Saumweber embarked on what he calls “a life-changing experience” during a semester at sea with the Sea Education Association (SEA). “That was it, I fell in love with being a mariner and going to sea,” he states. It ultimately led him to spend three years, after graduating, sailing throughout the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Seas as a crew member aboard tall ships. “I loved being at sea so much that I nearly gave up a science career for it!” he states.
Saumweber went on to earn his Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) where he was able to continue spending time at sea aboard GSO research vessels. “My experience sailing with SEA crystallized my interests in marine science and coastal biology into oceanography, leading me towards GSO,” he explains. This program also furthered his interest in ocean stewardship and his desire to help bridge the gap between science and policy.
Saumweber was awarded the prestigious NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship after obtaining his Ph.D., which enabled him to return to Washington, D.C. and work for the late Senator Daniel Inouye, who was known as the “Dean of the Ocean” in the Senate. “That year, a lot of crucial political ocean work was occurring with Senator Inouye leading much of the way,” he says. Saumweber worked with Senator Inouye on landmark ocean legislation, including the last significant authorization of the major U.S. fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation, and Management Act; the first passage of marine plastics legislation under the Trash Free Seas Act; the passage of the Tsunami Warning Education Bill; and other significant oceans legislation.
Dr. Saumweber worked his way up the political ladder to lead ocean governance reform under President Obama in the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as a senior policy advisor to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator.
Saumweber, who is widely known as an influential change agent in marine policy, has also been a leader in successfully elevating major ocean sustainability issues onto the national agenda. These areas include illegal fishing, marine protected areas, climate change, sustainable fisheries management, marine plastic pollution, and more.
In addition to establishing multiple marine reserves of global significance, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast, Saumweber also played a crucial role in creating the country’s first seafood traceability program to tackle illegal fishing. He also oversaw new policies in the Arctic related to sustainable fisheries and the banning of off-shore drilling in some of these vulnerable areas.
Saumweber, who has held various teaching positions over the years, has always had an affinity for teaching and mentoring students interested in marine affairs and policy. “What a great journey and voyage to end up back in Rhode Island,” exclaims Saumweber, who now teaches courses related to federal ocean policy in CELS’ Department of Marine Affairs “I was drawn to this faculty position in CELS because of the opportunity to join a group of real policy thought leaders,” he explains. “Learning is a two-way street and I’m excited to learn from my amazing colleagues and the students I mentor.”
Saumweber is still involved in political work in Washington, D.C., serving as the director of the Stephenson Ocean Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “This project works on getting illegal fishing and other global ocean sustainability issues into the national security sphere,” he states. “We are now seeing these important topics becoming a part of the conversation.”
Dr. Saumweber sees an opportunity for Rhode Island and New England to serve as role models and leaders in ocean governance. “I’m excited to contemplate how I can build institutions that better connect both science and policy,” he states. “CELS is one of the institutions that do great work on this. There’s a real opportunity for New England to serve as a nursing ground for broader U.S. policy in terms of ocean governance.”