USFWS hires new field supervisor

HONOLULU, Hawaii—Katherine “Kasia” Mullett has been hired as the new field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office. Mullett will provide leadership in all facets of the office’s wildlife conservation responsibilities.

“Working with partners is essential for the conservation and recovery of the diverse, unique species in the Pacific Islands,” Robyn Thorson, regional director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Kasia’s record of leadership, science-based management and collaborative partnerships, in addition to her strong management skills, will benefit the species the Service is charged to protect.”

Mullett has worked in the office since 2017 and served as assistant field supervisor for Geographic Operations in the Pacific Islands. Since January 2019, she has been acting field supervisor for the office. She has a strong academic background, with a bachelor’s degree and masters in Biology and a second masters in Pastoral Studies. Before working in the Pacific Islands, Mullett led a team of 100 employees including scientists, technicians and support staff as the administrator and field supervisor for two Great Lakes sea lamprey control stations in Michigan.

“By working together, we are able to conserve habitats, prevent extinctions and work toward the recovery of species.” said Mullett. “I am looking forward to building on the history of conservation partnership that this office has with communities across the Pacific.”

Mullett will lead a team responsible for over 540 threatened and endangered species across the Pacific. Her tenure as project leader began on Sept. 29.

The Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Offices works in a geographic area larger than the continental United States with a diverse set of ecosystems and species that range from the Mariana Trench to Mauna Kea, and from coral reefs to streams, rainforests and alpine deserts. The USFWS works with partners and communities to recover species and prevent their extinction across the Pacific, including American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, Hawaii and the remote Pacific Islands. The Service also works with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau.

The office is part of the Ecological Services program, which is responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act. The office has programs ranging from the listing and recovery of listed species, renewable energy, aquatic ecosystems, invasive species, conservation planning assistance, conservation grants, natural resource damage assessments and environmental contaminants.  

More information on the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/. (PR)