Sam is a Coastal Geologist (LG) with 9 years of environmental consulting experience in the Puget Sound area. His expertise centers on shoreline geologic and geomorphic processes, coastal monitoring, and the spatial data collection and analysis that supports them. As a licensed UAV pilot with 5 years of drone flight and mapping experience, he applies remote sensing, photogrammetry, and spatial data workflows to shoreline change assessments, and he is well versed in a range of GIS technologies and GNSS field equipment.

Sam’s strong grasp of local geology lets him connect surface and subsurface conditions to coastal processes and slope stability, including the bluff behavior that drives shoreline change. His background also spans groundwater remediation and groundwater flow. He holds an MS in Applied Geosciences from the University of Washington, with a focus on coastal geology, and a BS in Geology from the University of Oregon. He grew up visiting the Salish Sea every summer and is devoted to protecting and restoring its shorelines.