Zach Penney, Ph.D.

Zachary (Zach) Penney is a NOAA senior advisor, with a focus on fisheries and tribal engagement. 

Before joining the NOAA team, Penney was serving as the fishery science department manager at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission in Portland, Oregon. Penney is Nimiipuu, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, and has devoted his professional career to conserving native fish, protecting tribal/indigenous fisheries, and ensuring tribal treaty and trust responsibilities are upheld. In 2021, Penney was a recipient of the Emmeline Moore Prize from the American Fisheries Society for his efforts towards promoting demographic diversity and inclusion within the society. Prior to Penney's role at Columbia Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, he served as a legislative fellow for Representative Jared Huffman (CA-2). 

Zach holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho, an M.S. in Earth and Ocean Sciences from the University of Victoria and a B.S. in Fisheries from Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska.