NOAA

Staff Counsel

Prior to joining PEER, Colleen was an Assistant District Attorney for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in New York. She has also worked, clerked, and interned for multiple government agencies and non-profits, including the United States Department of Justice, the Office of the New York State Attorney General, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Defenders of Wildlife. Colleen also volunteered as a Park Interpreter with the National Park Service at Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC. Colleen received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was the Vice President of the Environmental Law Society and Senior Notes Editor for the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. She received her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in International Affairs from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Colleen enjoys backpacking and camping trips, playing board games, and reading mystery novels.

Anonymous Activism and Whistleblowing in the Age of Trump

by Colleen Zimmerman | January 24, 2025
PEER anticipates a flood of requests for our legal services during Trump 2.0. Here's an overview of our approach to anonymous activism and whistleblowing ...

Science Integrity at NOAA: Run Silent, Run Deep

by Jeff Ruch | June 27, 2024
Most agencies sent their draft scientific integrity policies out for public comment, but not the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ...

Countdown for PEER’s Regulatory Petitions

by Peter Jenkins | May 9, 2024
Read the latest updates on eleven of the regulatory petitions we've worked on this year. With an election just around the corner, now is the time to ramp up action to get our requests granted, especially in case there is a new administration in 2025 ...

Dr. Peter Corkeron: Fighting to Save the North Atlantic Right Whales

by PEER | October 5, 2023
Dr. Corkeron faced enormous pressure during his time at NOAA, to not document and generally suppress concerns over the population management of North Atlantic Right Whales ...