The National Invasive Species Council’s (NISC) high-level policy and planning activities benefit from the technical input provided by Federal agency staff, and Federal inter-agency bodies working on invasive species issues, as well as non-Federal stakeholders. The Invasive Species Advisory Committee's (ISAC) primary duty is to “provide information and advice for consideration by the Council” on invasive-species related issues. ISAC members include representatives of state, territorial, tribal, and local governments, as well as academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
ISAC is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and administered according to its bylaws. ISAC typically holds two meetings per year. All meetings are open to the public, and minutes of each meeting are publicly available.
Since its creation in 1999, ISAC has provided valuable input to NISC on a wide range of Federal priorities and emerging issues. ISAC advice and other resources are available. ISAC was deactivated in May 2019, and reauthorized in October 2021. ISAC members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior with extensive input from the other NISC members.
The current ISAC members were appointed on December 23, 2022. Total membership includes 13 voting members appointed by Secretary Haaland, and four non-voting, ex-officio members representing stakeholder non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Voting Members
Chuck Bargeron has been with the University of Georgia for 24 years, where his work focuses on invasive species and information technology. Recently, Chuck has focused on mapping invasive species and tools for Early Detection and Rapid Response using EDDMapS, Wild Spotter, and companion smartphone applications. Chuck has spoken at over 300 regional and national conferences and co-authored over 67 journal articles and outreach publications. Full Bio
Dr. Brewington holds a joint appointment as a Research Professor at Arizona State University’s Global Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, and a Research Fellow at the East-West Center. She co-leads the Pacific RISA climate adaptation research program in Hawaii and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and is based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Full Bio
Carrie Brown-Lima is the Director of the NY Invasive Species Research Institute at Cornell University. She is co-founder of the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management network, and is currently the Chair of the NYS Invasive Species Advisory Committee and the North American Invasive Species Network. Full Bio
Leah Elwell is a non-profit collaborator working to create AIS prevention strategies that result in positive outcomes. Her approach is science-based, nature informed, and process driven. Full bio
Slade Franklin has worked for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture for the past 24 years. During that time, he has worked on many invasive species issues and policies related to Wyoming and the other western states. Full bio
Leigh has worked for The Nature Conservancy since December 2007. Her work focuses on bringing multiple stakeholders together to achieve common goals in Forest Health, including managing the Don't Move Firewood campaign. Full bio
Jack Hicks, Choctaw Nation tribal member, is a seasoned land management professional with more than 3 decades of experience. Full bio
Jiri started on a farm in the Czech Republic, and ended up as the University of Florida’s Forest Entomologist. On the research side, he leads a team of young researchers – from software developers to molecular biologists to artists – investigating the 100-million-year-long interplay between trees, insects, and fungi. On the extension and outreach side, he is working with stakeholders worldwide to increase the understanding of how this story has been abruptly dramatized by the global homogenization of plants, pests and diseases and intensified by plantation silviculture. His ultimate goal is to use research, policy and media to build our understanding of, and respect for, the requirements of trees and forests to grow in the right places at their own pace. Full bio
Christy Martin is the program manager for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS), a partnership of agencies and organizations working to fill the gaps in Hawaii’s invasive species prevention, response, and control programs. Christy is also one of the co-founders of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (Pacific RISCC), whose aim is to focus research and communications on the confluence of invasive species and climate change in the Pacific Islands region. Full bio
David began his career in the California State Legislature, working for a California State Assemblymember, State Senator, and Governor focusing on agriculture and natural resource issues. Currently working for the California Department of Food and Agriculture focusing on external affairs and communications. David is also the Executive Director of the Invasive Species Council of California. Full bio
LeRoy Rodgers is an invasive species biologist with South Florida Water Management. He oversees operational management of invasive plants and animals in the Florida Everglades and other south Florida ecosystems. Full bio
Lizbeth Seebacher is a wetland and aquatic biologist for the Washington State Department of Ecology. She is the program manager for the aquatic plant and cyanobacteria programs concentrating on invasive aquatic plants and lake restoration. Dr. Seebacher has been involved with invasive plant issues for over 20 years working with nonprofit, federal, state and county organizations. Full bio
Paul Zajicek is the Executive Director of the National Aquaculture Association, the only national non-profit trade association that represents and advocates for U.S. aquaculture. Full bio
Ex-officio (non-voting) Members
Elizabeth Brown is an independent contractor representing the North American Invasive Species Mananagement Association (NAISMA) where she serves as Government Relations Director. Elizabeth has over 20 years of invasive species prevention and management experience. She started her business, Elizabeth Brown Environmental Consulting, in 2020 following eighteen years with the State of Colorado. Full bio
Laurel James is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, an Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate at the University of Washington in the Department of Anthropology and the School of Environmental & Forest Sciences. She currently works as the Director of Programs for the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society and resides on the Yakama Reservation in Eastern Washington State. Full bio
Steven Long is first an active member of the National Plant Board where he has served in numerous leadership capacities in pursuit of solving pest and pest program issues with partner states and federal partners. He looks forward to utilizing his Clemson education and vast work experiences with private South Carolina agriculture, Clemson Regulatory and Public Service Programs, and volunteer time with South Carolina Farm Bureau to support the ISAC committee as an ex-officio member in problem solving, solution finding, and experience sharing. Full bio
Bill Simshauser represents the National Association of Conservation Districts. He farms and ranches on a fourth generation farm in southwest Kansas in the heart of the 1930s dust bowl area. Full bio