Nicole R. LeBoeuf

Biography

Nicole R. LeBoeuf is the assistant administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA's) National Ocean Service (NOS), an organization of 1,700 federal staff in more than 50 locations around the country. Ms. LeBoeuf oversees all strategic and operational aspects of America’s premiere coastal and ocean agency, providing strategic vision in support of NOS's priorities of safe and efficient transportation and commerce; preparedness and risk reduction; and coastal zone management, stewardship, tourism and recreation. She serves as the focal point for conveying the value of NOS products and services within NOAA and to the Department of Commerce, the Office of Management and Budget, and to Congress. In the course of her work, Ms. LeBoeuf actively establishes and grows partnerships with other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry. She serves as the first female U.S. Representative to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, where she advances the application of ocean and coastal observations in understanding and preparing for climate change and promoting U.S. best practices in coastal and ocean observations and science for a more safe, resilient, and prosperous future. She also serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and as a member of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force - both important opportunities to advance NOAA’s conservation and economic prosperity missions across state, federal, and territorial jurisdictions.

Ms. LeBoeuf has nearly 30 years in public service, specifically scientific and program management experience, with emphasis on the connections between science, technology, and in identifying policy solutions to complex national and international challenges. Previously, Ms. LeBoeuf served as the NOS deputy assistant administrator and worked in the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources as chief of the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, where she maintained oversight of a diverse regulatory portfolio of protected species conservation and management activities. Ms. LeBoeuf has also worked in the NOAA Budget Office as NOAA’s finance lead during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and in NOAA Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs as NOAA’s lead for the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and as NOAA’s expert on reducing bycatch in multiple tuna fisheries on the high seas. As the special assistant to NOAA Fisheries science director, she represented NOAA at the U.N. General Assembly and the World Conservation Union.

Ms. LeBoeuf grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast and knows the importance of coastal communities and economies to our nation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in sustainable development and conservation biology from the University of Maryland. She is also a proud graduate of NOAA’s Leadership Competencies Development Program. She lives with her husband in Kensington, Maryland.