Monika Thiele
Focal Point for North America
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species(CMS)
Email: monika.thiele at unep.org

Monika Thiele returns to UNEP-RONA in her new capacity as focal point for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) in North America. In conjunction with her CMS role, Monika will continue to cover ocean and coastal issues for RONA including the Spain-UNEP LifeWeb Initiative on Marine Mammal Corridors as well as other special projects. Ms. Thiele liaises with US government partners, civil society organizations, and other UNEP regional offices to advance policies in support of UNEPs programme of work.

Ms. Thiele has 13 years of experience working in international conservation and coastal management from both the federal government and nonprofit sector. Most recently, she worked for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where she coordinated strategic planning efforts for the National Marine Sanctuary Program and represented the National Ocean Service on NOAA’s Ecosystem Goal Team. She was also instrumental in providing constituent outreach and partnership development opportunities, with a special focus on sustainable dive tourism. She has also worked for the World Wildlife Fund US, first in their Global Forest Program and Private Sector Initiatives including development of the Forest Stewardship Council but ultimately pursued her passion for oceans in WWF’s Endangered Seas Campaign.

A native of northern Maine, Ms. Thiele has a bachelor of arts in Biology and Environmental Science from Colby College and a Masters in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, in Seattle. For her graduate thesis, she investigated factors leading to the success and sustainability of foreign-funded integrated coastal management projects in the Philippines.