Kevin Decker

Coastal Economist

Curriculum vitae

Expertise

  • Community Economic Development
  • Coastal Hazards Resilience
  • Economics of Marine Industries
  • Tourism

Kevin joined Washington Sea Grant in 2014 as a Coastal Outreach Specialist, primarily focused on communicating and engaging with communities about Marine Spatial Planning on Washington’s coast. In his current role as Coastal Economist, he focuses on building community resilience to coastal hazards through the Coastal Hazards Resilience Network, the Resilience Workgroup of the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council, and the State Ocean Caucus. Kevin is also founder and Board Chair for Harbor Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (HYPE), a networking group based out of Aberdeen that seeks to increase social capital through a more networked community.

Kevin also serves as an economic advisor on Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties’ Marine Resource Committees. He also works with the crabbing and tug/tow industries to negotiate the towlanes annually. These lanes provide crab-gear-free space that results in reduced gear loss and less frequently fouled boats, saving these industries millions of dollars each year. Kevin also seeks to bring community-level economic data analysis on current trends, working waterfronts, marine industries, and tourism to assist with local decision-making. This information can be found on his blog. He is most passionate about working on projects at the intersection of economic and ecological resilience that have a direct and immediate impact for communities.

Kevin earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and a master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Idaho, a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from Boise State University.