Sierra Franks

Sierra was born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology with a minor in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Master’s degree in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Fisheries Management from Oregon State University. She's been a Federal employee for 13.5 years, working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Geological Survey. Prior to her Federal career, she worked a short time for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.   

Most of her professional background has been around fisheries, specifically salmon. "The first 1/3 of my career I was lucky enough to work in the field in, on, and under the rivers and streams of California, Washington, and Oregon. The second half of my career was all Endangered Species Act related work minus a small 8-month detail as a Regional Litigation Coordinator." Sierra received the highest honorary award from the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2016, presented by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, as a member of a team responsible for the reintroduction of spring-run Chinook salmon to the San Joaquin River in California. She started working as the Regulatory Program Lead for Alaska's Marine Mammals Management Program in March 2021. 

Her avocations mostly include backpacking and dabbling in rock climbing, but anything outdoor related will put a smile on her face. "In 2019 I was lucky enough to thru-hike the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile-long trail that circumnavigates Mt. Rainier." She and her wife and daughter and moved to Eagle River, Alaska in 2021, with their two dogs and hamster. They are very much looking forward to exploring and getting to know all Alaska has to offer.