Jay works as Communications Specialist for Defenders of Wildlife’s Southeast and Rockies and Plains program regions, as well as North Atlantic Right Whale and Rice’s whale. His prior experience includes six years spent copy editing and reporting on local news in the Adirondacks region of upstate New York, covering invasive species and conservation issues as well as tourism, local business, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in English from the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he also served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Racquette.