Areas of Expertise: Endangered Species Act, congressional legislative process.

Cassie is a Legislative Analyst specializing in the Endangered Species Act. Her main responsibilities include supporting Defenders’ congressional advocacy efforts through coalition work, direct lobbying, and grassroots mobilization.

Prior to joining Defenders in February 2024, Cassie interned at Environmental Defense Fund, where she focused on tropical forest conservation and indigenous land tenure in the Brazilian Amazon. Previously, she had served as The Wildlife Society’s policy intern. She also has worked as a field technician researching imperiled Seaside Sparrows and Saltmarsh Sparrows in New Jersey’s salt marshes.

Cassie holds a B.Sc in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and an M.Sc in Environmental Science and Policy from Northeastern University. In her free time, she loves reading, lifting weights, and travelling the world for birding.