Judy Jacobs

Judy started her FWS career in 1981 in the Jackson, Mississippi Area Office Endangered Species Program. Conserving endangered species proved to be her passion. In 1984, Judy transferred to the Annapolis, MD Ecological Services Office, where, under the able leadership of Glenn Kinser, she and her colleague Andy Moser (also recently retired) carried out endangered species work in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Judy wrote listing packages for numerous species of plants, invertebrates, amphibians, (and even a delisting package for brown pelican) and also authored recovery plans and served as recovery team leader for several species. Judy also taught the Recovery Planning course at NCTC for a number of years.

After marrying another FWS employee, Denny Lassuy, Judy, Denny and their 6-month-old daughter moved cross-country to Portland, OR in 1995, where Judy continued endangered species work in both the regional and field offices. In 2002, Judy and Denny took positions in the Anchorage Field (Judy) and Regional (Denny) Offices. In partnership with Japanese colleagues, Judy helped initiate a successful short-tailed albatross translocation program. For several years Judy also worked half-time in the Federal Aid (Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration) Program in the Alaska Regional Office, where she helped administer the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Programs.

Judy retired from FWS in December of 2012. After travelling and playing for a couple of years, she began working as a contractor for National Marine Fisheries Service in --guess what?-- the Protected Resources (i.e. Endangered Species) Program in April of 2015, and she hasn't gotten tired of it yet!

Music is another of Judy's passion. Many evenings find her out contradancing, and/or singing, playing guitar, fiddle, pennywhistle, and, most recently, autoharp!  And when at home, she's likely to be making up songs or poems, some silly, some addressing environmental issues (and some both). She and her Portland FWS cronies performed one of her songs on the National Wildlife Refuge Centennial CD, and this year one of her entries in the Musicians United (to protect Bristol Bay) songwriting contest won 3rd place!