Great Lakes Tourism Specialist

Extension Associate

New York Sea Grant

Oswego, New York

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world’s complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program between the State University of New York and Cornell University. Established in 1971, Sea Grant implements educational problem-solving programs for coastal resource users, businesses, and agencies. Sea Grant supports research and provides extension education to coastal resource agencies, users, businesses, and residents and is patterned after the land-grand concept; programs include coastal zone management, tourism and small business development, coastal environmental quality, and seafood processing. 

Position Function

 Serve as a primary resource for Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism organizations, businesses, and local, county and state agencies on tourism and economics. Provide extension programming related to the economic and social impacts, business development, promotion, and environmental management/policy issues associated with Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism. Demonstrate the ability to self-motivate, work independently as well as a member of a team, and develop annual plans of work that include measurable outcomes. Develop extension, outreach, and educational materials and training programs to support a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable coastal recreation tourism industry, as well as inform a related research plan for New York State. Additionally, develop, implement, and evaluate a stakeholder engagement process for identifying the status, constraints, and opportunities for coastal recreation and tourism in New York’s Great Lakes region, which include a newly designated National Marine Sanctuary.

Specific Program Development Responsibilities:

• Serve as a recognized subject matter specialist in the areas of water dependent business development, tourism/promotion, economics, and/or natural resource management and policy as it relates to water-dependent businesses, the marine trades industry, scenic byways and other coastal tourism attractions and facilities, recreation-related organizations, and government agencies, as well as adult education.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders (especially with the marine trades industry, tourism advisory councils, water-dependent businesses, etc.), community partners, and agencies to develop enduring and empowering relationships for productive dialogue around what constitutes sustainable Great Lakes recreation and tourism.
• Facilitate information exchange and collaboration among stakeholder groups to promote, diversify and/or strengthen nature-based/ecosystem, cultural, and heritage tourism efforts.
• Disseminate and translate science-based research generated about Great Lakes tourism and recreation to businesses, agencies, community members, recreationalists, and the public in various formats.
• Develop and implement an extension and outreach program and facilitate business development, organizational partnerships, science, and information management actions to provide science-based information to inform and support sustainable coastal recreation and tourism in New York’s Great Lakes.
• Engage stakeholders and shareholders in identifying priority research needs and preferred policies and management strategies for supporting sustainable coastal recreation and tourism in the region.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and resources to professional organizations, such as the marine trades industry, to increase their resilience to industry disturbances such as COVID-19, high and low water levels, ice fluctuations, seiches, and other coastal hazards.
• Collaborate with other universities, Sea Grant, and extension staff to stimulate educational resource program sharing in the field of economics related to Great Lakes recreation and tourism.

University and Extension Program Ties:

• Plan and conduct extension education programs related to recreation and tourism, economics, business development/retention and natural resource management and policy. Develop significant new subject matter materials such as curricula and extension education publications.
• Actively pursue outside grants and contracts to support this program area.
• Has subject matter responsibility for integrating Sea Grant Extension and University recreation and tourism economics, business development and natural resource management and policy programming initiatives in a statewide, regional, and/or national context.
• Collaborate within area of program expertise within New York Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and State and Local agencies.

Requirements:

Required

• Master’s degree in tourism, natural resource management, business management, economics, environmental economics, ecological economics, socioeconomics, marketing, promotion, communication, or other related fields.
• 2+ years of experience working with outreach or similar public education programs.
• Knowledge of principles, theory, research, extension methods, and educational materials in the subject matter field.
• Coursework in environmental or natural resource economics.
• Advanced computer skills and the ability to use vitual and long-distance education technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop adult education programs.
• Effectively participate in professional team efforts.
• Relate effectively to co-workers, advisors, stakeholders (e.g., water-dependent businesses, recreational users, tourism advisory councils, etc.), community and professional leaders, and targeted audiences.
• Communicate effectively through oral, written, and visual channels.
• Ability to work effectively independently or within groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the position and have reliable transportation as well as have and maintain a valid and unrestricted New York State driver’s license. All employees must register with Agile/Fleet Commander.

Preferred

• Experience using long-distance education technologies in extension or outreach.
• Experience in applying for external resources to support applied research and outreach programming.
• Experience bringing successful educational programs to underserved or marginalized communities.
• Experience in human dimension research.
• Experience conducting economic research.

Reporting Relationships

The Extension Associate reports to a Great Lakes Regional Extension Leader. Direction is established through Program Advisory Networks, university faculty, and organizational leadership of the Sea Grant Extension Program. This position will primarily reside in Oswego, New York.