First week as a Knauss Fellow

Well, I'm all moved in and unpacked. I've already learned some valuable lessons about living in DC:

• First, on-street parking requires permits- especially for big moving trucks. I tried to time my move so that I could show up in DC before rush hour and get a parking spot, but it didn't work out. The parking permit folks feel no sympathy for unaware out-of-towners, so I had to risk parking a 17ft moving truck without a parking permit (which requires 72hrs prior notice to get! How do you do that before you move here?). It all worked out and I made it through without a ticket!
• Second, things labeled as "close to the metro" or "ample street parking" seem to be sales gimmicks used by folks posting housing ads on Craigslist (which, by the way, are mostly scams, so beware). I moved into the city and commute to NOAA in Silver Spring. My apartment seemed close to the metro on Google Maps, but it didn't turn out to be so true. Luckily the bus system here is excellent and I don't need to take the metro rail. I hop on a bus (half the price of the metro rail! Really adds up when you commute 5 days a week) and get to work in a half an hour.
• Reddit has excellent information for those moving to the DC area, but I didn't find it until after I moved here. Here is the link, it also has lots of good information for once you're here: http://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/

Now, lets talk about my position...

Here's my office: DOC > NOAA > NMFS > Office of Management and Budget. Peg Brady, my boss, is the NOAA policy liaison to both the National Invasive Species Council and the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, in addition to many other duties. I'm working with her team on invasive species issues and am already loving my job. I've been reading like a madman to get caught up on their management plans, strategic plans, and cross-cut budgets. Meetings have been interesting so far, as everyone seems to talk a different language because of all the acronyms they use. I have a few papers pinned above my desk that spell out most of the acronyms they use, but it is going to take some time to figure it all out!

The resumes of the people I work with are impressive. The assistant administrator of NOAA was the first American woman to travel to space- try topping that! I'm looking forward to the next year, and am sure I'll have a lot more to report on next time!

Clarence
Knauss Marine Policy Fellow
(2/2014 – 2/2015)
Fulla1cd@cmich.edu