Contact and Staff

Contact Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

The staff of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary are located in Newport News, Virginia. Contact the office at:

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Staff

Paul "Sammy" Orlando, Sanctuary Superintendent
240-460-1978
Paul.Orlando@noaa.gov

Paul "Sammy" Orlando is the superintendent for both Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. Sammy joined NOAA in 1983 and has worked for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in various capacities since 2002.

Tane Casserley, Research, Resource Protection and Permit Coordinator
757-591-7333
Tane.Casserley@noaa.gov

Tane Casserley joined the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in the spring of 2001. As the Resource Protection and Permit Coordinator for both Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Mallows Bay – Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, Tane is responsible for the development of programs to address commercial and recreational uses in and around the sanctuaries. Tane's specialties include 19th-century warships and deep-water archaeology, as well as building collaborative partnerships, public outreach and exhibit design. Tane holds a graduate certificate in maritime archaeology from the University of Hawaii and a master's degree from the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University. He has led NOAA archaeological expeditions in the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes, California, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, and USS Monitor. He's participated in projects including a sunken Boeing B-29 Superfortress in Lake Mead, a Civil War blockade runner in Bermuda, USS Arizona, and was most recently part of an expedition to RMS Titanic. Tane's projects have used technical diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and manned submersibles.

Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator
757-591-7328
Shannon.Ricles@noaa.gov

Shannon Ricles is the education and outreach coordinator for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Shannon also serves as the site's Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator. Formerly, Shannon was the director at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Bangor Subbase for STARBASE-Atlantis, a U.S. Navy educational outreach program that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and serves over 1,000 local fifth grade students annually. Prior to working for the Navy, Shannon was the program manager and coordinating producer for NASA's educational broadcast program, the NASA SCI Files™, which aired nationwide on PBS and on over 800 cable access channels. Shannon has over 15 years' classroom experience as an educator at multiple grade levels and received her Bachelor of Science degree in education with an Earth science emphasis from the University of North Texas at Denton. She is currently working on her Master of Business Administration at Saint Leo's University.

Jessie Frayser, Education and Outreach Support Specialist
Jessie.Frayser@noaa.gov

Jessie Frayser is the education and outreach support specialist for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary as well as the Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator. Jessie spent seven years as a classroom teacher and is passionate about empowering teachers and students through innovative educational experiences. Jessie received a Master of Arts and Teaching from Christopher Newport University and a Master in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. After spending her whole adult life in Hampton Roads, Jessie’s goal is to share her love for this influential, historic area with the community and beyond.

David Dodsworth, IT Coordinator
757-591-7324
David.Dodsworth@noaa.gov

David Dodsworth serves as the IT coordinator for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Dave has an extensive background in IT management, network administration, and computer tech support. While serving in the U.S. Navy, Dave began working with computers as a submarine electronics technician. After serving for 11 years, he left the Navy to start a company that specialized in custom computer builds, computer service, and business network consulting. After 12 years as a successful entrepreneur, Dave sold his company to pursue a career in enterprise level systems administration, which brought him to NOAA. In addition to handling IT duties at Monitor, Dave is the IT Coordinator for Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks, and Stellwagen Bank national marine sanctuaries, which he administers remotely and travels to frequently. Dave also administers the data backup routines for several other Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) sites and works closely with ONMS headquarters on Active Directory deployments, security vulnerability mitigation, and technical support. Dave has received formal IT education from St. Leo University and Old Dominion University. He holds numerous industry certifications including A+, Network+, Security+, and ITIL, and is a Microsoft Certified Professional. Combining his passion for technology and the sea has been instrumental in his success as a key contributor to the mission of the National Marine Sanctuary System.