Heather Kerkering is the Director of the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), overseeing operations of the largest region in the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Ms. Kerkering holds a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.A. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia. In 2005, she launched the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. In her decade with ocean observing systems, she has participated in numerous regional, national, and international initiatives. She has been an active Board member of the IOOS Association since 2005.