Janet Coit has been an environmental leader for decades. For over ten years, Janet served as Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), where she oversaw agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, forestry, agriculture, and the state park system, as well as leading the state’s environmental protection efforts. At RIDEM, Janet focused on growing local food systems and supporting Rhode Island’s seafood sector, as well as reducing pollution and conserving natural habitats. Most recently, Janet was Director of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal agency responsible for stewardship of U.S. living marine resources. Serving at NOAA from 2021 to January 2025, Janet worked closely with states, tribes and partners, leading the nation’s efforts to ensure sustainable management of our fisheries and restore coastal and marine habitats. Janet launched the first-ever National Seafood Strategy, establishing strategies to support the U.S. seafood economy. Earlier in her career, Janet spent a decade leading the Rhode Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and handled environmental issues for three U.S. Senators from New England, including serving as counsel to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Janet is on the Board of Regents at the American College of Environmental Lawyers. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she was president of the Environmental Law Society. Janet and her husband loved raising their children in Rhode Island, a state with many small farms, beautiful open spaces and new opportunities to connect people to the lands and waters upon which we depend.
