Chris A. Johns

CONTACT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE www.chrisajohns.com Digital Communications Specialist | Dec 2018 - present [email protected] Department of Homeland Security 352.328.6300 Coastal Resilience Center, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Coordinate with executive leadership team and principle investigators across 24 institutions to implement communications strategy for $20 million research and education initiative focused on coastal community resilience. • Write content, design, and produce fact sheets, conference presentations, monthly COMPETENCY newsletter, website, social media, print advertisements, and videos. • Ensure consistent messaging and aesthetic across all communications, while Web/Social Media: effectively translating complex research objectives and results for diverse audiences, Google Analytics ranging from federal decision-makers to community stakeholders. Mailchimp • Acted as one of primary news media contacts during 2019 hurricane season, which WordPress involved coordinating researcher interviews and tracking media appearances. Drupal Squarespace Webflow Sprout Creative Director, Strategy Consultant | Dec 2011 – present Hootsuite Chris A. Johns Media, LLC | www.chrisajohns.com HTML5 CSS Aid clients in medicine, engineering, and conservation in identifying media needs, developing communication strategies, and producing deliverables, in order to help Video & Photography: them influence diverse target audiences including funding bodies, decision-makers, Premiere Pro and executive committees. After Effects • Developing and implementing communications strategy for snail conservation at Lightroom Bishop Museum and Hawai‘i DLNR, which includes overseeing budget and Photoshop production for fundraising decks and documentary series sponsored by NatGeo. Audition • Designed social media content and directed promotional video for Disney Conservation Fund, Florida Museum, and First Magnitude Brewing highlighting their Graphic Design: partnership that raised $12K for butterfly conservation in its first event series. Illustrator • Developed communications strategy and produced media assets for University of InDesign Florida forest health research program, which included promotional materials for conferences, explainer videos detailing specimen collection, and a video series Mapping: designed to recruit lab members. Garmin Systems • Provide creative direction for complex projects, which involves supervision and ArcMap 10.7 development of teams of up to four professional photographers, videographers, Google Earth Pro designers, and animators. • Negotiate contracts and budgets, maintain multimedia database and equipment inventory, plan complex productions in sometimes rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions, and manage multiple concurrent projects. • Use Design Thinking strategies to develop custom fit solutions to unique communications challenges and foster excellent client relationships.

1 Chris A. Johns

CONTACT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (cont.) www.chrisajohns.com Project Manager | Sep 2014 – Dec 2017 [email protected] University of Florida, Department of Biology 352.328.6300 Oversaw all research, communications, and outreach activities focused on conservation of Hawaiian and plants. • Developed and implemented communications plan to raise awareness about Hawaiian conservation amongst land managers and visitors to Hawai‘i, using field guides, reports, publications, conference presentations, public school visits, photo galleries, and videos. • Developed effective written and oral communication skills pertaining to Hawaiian biodiversity conservation, resulting in 13 successful grant proposals, five invited speaking engagements, and four peer-reviewed publications. • Collaborated with researchers and conservationists to produce and direct short film on Hawaiian biodiversity that won a 2016 Hawai‘i International Film Festival Official Selection and was screened on over 120 Hawaiian Airlines flights. • Raised and managed $100K+ in grant funds to execute research and communications projects pertaining to conservation in Hawai‘i, which included setting objectives, analyzing large datasets and evaluating results, supervising three undergraduate projects, and leading teams of researchers to publish results. • Built valuable relationships with land managers, permitting officials, and researchers to coordinate seven independent field research trips to six Hawaiian islands. • Co-designed and -instructed graduate-level course for two semesters that helped junior academics develop effective communication skills, resulting in a University of Florida Biology Department Teaching Award.

AmeriCorps Vista Intern – Field Technician | Nov 2010 – Nov 2011 Pu‘u Kukui Watershed Preserve • Helped coordinate and lead community planting days and guided hikes for donors. • Assisted with planning and construction of preserve boundary fence. • Led fledgling monitoring and mammalian trapping efforts in ‘ua‘u colony. • Maintained databased on native and non-native plants, and identified action areas.

Team Leader | Jun – Jul 2010 Kupu AmeriCorps • Worked with co-leader to unify team of 12 youths toward conservation project goals. • Managed budget and logistics for team, and coordinated with state and federal agencies to facilitate learning opportunities.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Biology | 2013 - 2017 B.A. in Anthropology | 2006 - 2010 University of Florida University of Florida

2 Chris A. Johns

CONTACT PUBLICATIONS www.chrisajohns.com Johns CA, Toussaint E, Breinholt JW, Kawahara AY. 2018 Origin and macroevolution [email protected] of micro-moths on sunken Hawaiian Islands. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 285. 352.328.6300 Kobayashi S, Johns CA, Lopez-Vaamonde CA, Doorenweerd C, Kawakita A, Ohshima I, Lees DC, Hanabergh S, Kawahara AY 2018. Descriptions of two new species and biological data of Hawaiian Philodoria (, , Ornixolinae) leaf mining on Myrsine (Primulaceae). ZooKeys 773. Johns CA, Moore MR, Kawahara AY 2016. Molecular phylogeny, revised higher classification, and implications for the conservation of endangered Hawaiian leaf-mining moths (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae: Philodoria). Pac. Sci. 70. Johns CA, Tangalin N, Bustamente K, Kawahara AY 2014. Evidence of an undescribed, extinct Philodoria species (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from Hawaiian Hesperomannia herbarium specimens. Proc. Hawaii. Entomol. Soc. 46.

SELECT PRESENTATIONS

Johns CA 2019. Marketing invertebrate conservation in Hawai‘i: principles, audiences, and strategies. Hawai‘i Conservation Conference, HI. Invited speaker. Johns CA 2018. Evolutionary history of Philodoria and what Hawai‘i’s leaf miners tell us about sunken volcanic islands. U. Philippines. Invited speaker. Klempner D and Johns CA 2017. Fundamentals of Design Thinking. Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities Annual Summit, U. Florida, FL. Invited speakers. Johns CA 2017. Microfauna of Pacific island mountains. NG Nights, National Geographic, Washington D.C.; Mountain Film Festival, CO.; Family Day, National Geographic, Washington D.C. Invited speaker. Johns CA and Kawahara AY 2016. Using conservation media to raise awareness for endangered Hawaiian leaf miners. International Congress on Entomology, FL. Johns CA, Rubinoff D, Kawahara AY 2014. Philodoria: the endangered leaf miners of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawai‘i Conservation Conference, HI; Island Biology Conference, HI; Hawai‘i Ecosystems Meeting, HI.

CERTIFICATIONS

Google Analytics Individual Qualification · VITEC Geographic Information Systems Basic · B-3 Helicopter Safety · Petzl Rapid Ascent Descent, Single Rope Technique

AWARDS

NatGeo Explorer Award (2019) · NatGeo Short Film Showcase (2016) · NatGeo Young Explorer Award (2014) · Hawai‘i International Film Festival Official Selection (2016) · Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Official Selection (2016) · UF Biology Department Teaching Award (2017) · International Biodiversity Foundation Documentary Production Award (2016) · National Science Foundation Graduate 3 Research Fellowship (2014)