Andy Fayram, Monitoring Program Manager
Andy coordinates the Forum’s monitoring and assessment programs, data analysis, and reporting strategies. He received his BS degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin, his MS degree in fisheries and aquatic sciences from the University of Washington, and his PhD in biological sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Andy previously worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where he served in various capacities including Treaty Fisheries Coordinator, Quantitative Fisheries Policy Analyst, Great Lakes Monitoring Coordinator, Great Lakes Representative for the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, and co-chair of the Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Committee.
Originally from Wisconsin, Andy moved to Fort Collins in 2014, where he taught courses at Colorado State University and worked on data analysis projects for the World Wildlife Fund prior to joining the Big Thompson Watershed Forum. He is also a science editor for the journal Fisheries. He lives in Fort Collins with his family and enjoys fishing, hiking, running, cooking, and coaching soccer.
Laurie Schmidt, Watershed Program Administrator
Laurie provides leadership and overall management of the Forum, including operations, planning, financial management, and education/outreach activities. She has 30 years of professional experience in communications, project management, and writing/editing, with a focus on earth science and space exploration. Her career includes developing climate science feature articles for NASA’s Global Climate Change web site, creating educational content for the Phoenix Mars Lander Mission, authoring and publishing a travel guidebook, and managing publications at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Colorado School of Mines, and the Colorado Water Institute.
Originally from south Florida, Laurie moved to Colorado in 1995 to attend graduate school at Colorado State University, where she earned a MS degree in journalism/science communication. She also holds a BA degree in English, with a minor in geography, from the University of South Florida. Laurie lives in Fort Collins and enjoys hiking, photography, and travel.
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