Dr. Jesse Sayles

Dr. Jesse Sayles came to work with Zender Group after completing a 5 year postdoctoral fellowship with
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (US EPA ORD) where he
worked on, among other things, a multi-year collaborative project with Zender Group about building
support and capacity for Backhaul Alaska. He completed his PhD in human-environment geography at
Arizona State University in 2015 and has held additional research positions at McGill University and the
University of Victoria. He has done extensive work at the community and regional level to improve
coordination and collaboration within and among different sectors at local, state, and federal levels for
issues such as estuary watershed restoration, coastal environmental stewardship, climate change
adaptation planning, marine recreational fishing, and rural waste management. At Zender Group, Jesse
works with communities to develop special projects, supports Backhaul Alaska, and does applied
research to enhance community health and sustainability. Outside of work, you will often find Jesse
biking, paddling, sailing, or training for his next half-marathon.