Fellow spotlight: Nick Mills

Nick Mills is a 2024 Knauss Marine Policy Fellow sponsored by Alaska Sea Grant. Mills is living in Washington, D.C., for the one-year paid fellowship and working in a senior office at the U.S. Department of the Interior.

According to Mills, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior justifies its long name with a long list of responsibilities. In addition to federal conservation programs, the office also oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.

“Almost every major policy decision made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Park Service is formulated in conjunction with our office, which has provided me with an incredible opportunity to be part of natural resource policy making at the highest level,” said Mills. The office is led by Assistant Secretary Shannon Estenoz. Mills’ mentor, Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Strickle, is a former Knauss Fellow.

Working in the high-level Assistant Secretary’s office means that no days are the same. “One day I could be working on policy issues related to exotic pets, the next day it could be Klamath Basin restoration, and the next it could be red wolf recovery,” says Mills.

“The threads tying everything together are memo writing, research, and stakeholder outreach. I’ve improved my writing and communication skills, learning how to effectively synthesize a complex policy issue in a straightforward way that allows Shannon or Matt to understand and act on my recommendations or research.”

Mills has also been able to travel to places like San Diego and Arcata, California, working with stakeholders implementing or affected by marine policy decisions made in Washington, D.C. “I was even able to do a nighttime SCUBA dive in San Diego when I was out there, which was awesome,” he added.

Mills first heard about the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program while interning at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in Washington, D.C., and pursuing a Master of Public Administration from the University of Montana.

“I realized the Knauss Fellowship would be a special chance to merge my diving and policy experience,” says Mills. After his stint at CEQ, he completed the Alaska Dive Semester in Sitka, and an internship with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo, Florida. “These diving-focused experiences supplemented my academic and policy background and helped me establish my marine conservation focus before I applied to the fellowship.”

Mills started diving after his sister Linnea lost her life during a diving accident in 2020. “As a born and raised Montanan, I never expected to be in the marine conservation field. I wouldn’t be a Knauss Fellow if it wasn’t for my decision to start diving to honor Linnea—so dealing with tragedy is definitely a central component of my journey here,” he says. “Diving will remain an important part of my life going forward. The Knauss Fellowship will allow me to continue this healing process by making a positive impact for humans and ecosystems through policy and diving in the next phase of my career.”

Mills’ long-term goal is to advance as a policymaker and diver in a leadership role in the Western U.S. What exactly this looks like, he’s not quite sure. “When it comes to natural resource management and conservation policy, I’ve embraced my role as a generalist,” says Mills. He points to the long-lasting benefit of consensus-driven policy as a takeaway from the Knauss Fellowship.

“Being in a role where I can bring together and elevate the voices of experts and communities that know most about the issues being faced when implementing policy, while also remaining close to the ecosystems being affected by policy, is where I hope to be in the future.”

For more information about the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, visit the Alaska Sea Grant website.