Nicole Fernandes

Nicole Fernandes is a current member of NOAA's Leadership and Competencies Development Program and is currently serving as the NOAA West Regional Collaboration Team Coordinator. She normally serves as a Policy Analyst with National Ocean Service's Policy and Constituent Affairs Division where she develops policy and communications products for NOAA in collaboration with colleagues from across the agency. She served in a similar position within the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Policy on a detail assignment.

Prior federal service includes a five-year stint at the White House Office of Management and Budget where Nicole developed the President’s Budget and other policies for the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Presidio Trust and other natural and cultural resource management agencies. Nicole taught high school science for three years and has also served as an education coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation and the urban forestry manager at the Urban Corps of San Diego, a youth conservation corps. 

Nicole is committed to employee wellness and advancing diversity, equity, belonging, and accessibility. She serves on the leadership team of Mindful NOAA, an employee resource group that offers mindfulness practices and educational and training opportunities to improve employee wellness, performance, and leadership. She also serves as a professional coach to federal employees within the Federal Coaching Network to help them develop their goals and design actions to achieve them. 

Nicole holds a B.S. in entomology from the University of California, Riverside, a Master of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Education from the University of Maryland.