New Faces & Roles at CRD

Shannon Carmichael was rehired to CRD on April 1 as a marine technician 2 with the Fisheries Statistics Unit. She will be working on commercial fisheries data submitted by commercial fishermen and seafood dealers. She previously worked for CRD as a part-time employee from 2021 to 2023 as a creel clerk. She holds a bachelor of science from Oregon State University and in her free time enjoys reading, crocheting, and hiking trips to the North Georgia Mountains.

Chasen Carpenter joined the Ecological Monitoring Trawl Survey as a full-time marine technician 2 on Jan. 16. He previously worked on the survey as a part-time employee. In his position, he assists with field sampling, data collection and entry, and aquaria display upkeep. He is a graduate of Auburn University and in his free time enjoys going to the beach and taking his dog on hikes.

Tyler Cooper-Kolb became CRD’s new GIS specialist on March 17 after a Sea Grant Fellowship with CRD. In his position, he will create maps, perform data analysis, and maintain databases. His role is the primary point of contact for Coastal Incentive Grant projects focused on enhancing public access to Georgia’s coast. He has a master’s from Oregon State University.

Clayton Davis was promoted March 1 as the new lead of the Compliance and Enforcement Unit. He previously worked as a compliance and enforcement specialist and assumes his new role after the retirement of previous unit lead Buck Bennett. Davis holds a bachelor’s from College of Coastal Georgia and a master’s from Georgia Southern. His favorite “beach critter” is the horseshoe crab.

Chelsea Kneeland is CRD’s newest compliance and enforcement specialist, joining the agency Dec. 2. She previously worked as a wildlife biologist in Wyoming and for the National Audubon Society’s Conservation Ranching Program. She enjoys fishing and birding in her free time.

Dillon Metz was promoted Feb. 16 to marine biologist 1 with the Shellfish and Water Quality Unit. In his latest role, he will use GIS and unmanned aerial vehicles to help grow the shellfish industry and manage water quality data. Metz is originally from California.

Caroline Singleton moved from a part-time to a full-time position as a creel clerk March 3. She graduated College of Coastal Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Coastal Ecology, in December 2023. In her free time, she loves fishing and being on the water, dabbles with graphic design, and also makes “the best chocolate covered strawberries.”