CRITFC Staff
Zachary Penney
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Executive Director Department Portland Main Office
Biography
Dr. Zach Penney serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at CRITFC. Zach re-joined CRITFC after completing a political appointment (2022-2025) as the Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Zach was NOAA’s first-ever Senior Advisor focusing on both fisheries and tribal engagement. Prior to joining NOAA, Zach served as the Fishery Science Department Manager at CRITFC from 2015-2022.
Zach is Nimiipuu and devoted his professional career to supporting tribal fisheries and treaty rights in the Columbia River basin and elsewhere.
Education
- Ph.D. in Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho (2013)
- M.S. in Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia (2007)
- B.S. in Fisheries, Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka, Alaska (2004)