Area of Expertise: Energy

Stephanie joined Defenders of Wildlife in 2025 as a Senior Energy and Biodiversity Specialist. She promotes ocean health, public lands protection, and wildlife conservation by working to prevent offshore and onshore fossil fuel development and advance responsible renewable energy siting for wildlife protection. Her work has included opposing the expansion of offshore deep seabed mining and oil and gas leasing under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and oil and gas development on Western public lands.

Prior to joining Defenders, Stephanie was a senior lawyer in the U.S. Government, most recently at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). At USAID, she served as a legal advisor and diplomat, including as Senior Legal Advisor to Power Africa—a Presidential initiative focused on expanding access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to support economic growth and development across Africa.

She previously served as Chief of the Oceans and Coasts Section in NOAA’s Office of General Counsel, where she worked on ocean protection, responsible siting of offshore energy, and the implementation of domestic and international legal frameworks governing marine resources.