Erin Adams currently serves as the Chief of Staff, Government and External Affairs (GEA) at the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command. Ms. Adams aims to mitigate and repair mission constraints caused by encroachment and support the Marine Corps' warfighting mission by integrating communications, outreach, and engagement. The primary functional areas managed in her directorate include Marine Corps mission sustainment, community planning and liaison, K-12 school liaison, public affairs, and government and legislative affairs (state and federal), among many others.
Erin graduated from 51±¬ÁÏ’s Nicholas School of the Environment, where she earned her 51±¬ÁÏ Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management (DEL MEM). She also earned a B.S. in Biology, certification in secondary education, and more recently, graduated from the Marine Corps University Command and Staff College.
In 2002, Erin started her career working for the Joshua Tree National Park Association as the Desert Institute Director. In this position, Erin had the opportunity to work with key leaders across the Morongo Basin in developing and facilitating more than 100 college-level educational courses at the Park and surrounding public lands. The Program was accredited through the University of California, Riverside.
In 2007, she was selected for the Natural and Cultural Resources Manager position at Naval Station Rota, Spain. During her time at NAVSTA Rota, Erin was tasked with implementing the regional Environmental Management System at Naval bases across Europe and Africa, for which she earned a nomination for employee of the year.
In 2009, she transferred to Washington, DC to continue her environmental management career with the Navy. She served as environmental project manager for seven Navy and Marine Corps installations in the DC/NOVA area. In 2010, Erin was selected to be the Air Quality Manager at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, CA. In 2015, she was asked to step in as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff. In 2017, Erin moved back to the East Coast where she served as the Marine Corps Installations East Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff until 2021, covering all Marine Corps equities in NC, SC, GA, AL, and FL. In 2021, Erin moved back to Twentynine Palms as the Assistant Chief of Staff.
Ms. Adams’ personal decorations include the Department of the Navy Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service, among several other performance awards. Her leadership activities include serving as President of the Joshua Tree National Park Association Board of Directors, Desert Managers Group, and the Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape Steering Committee. She has published numerous articles and reports, to include her thesis titled Environmental Justice and the USMC, the MCIEAST Regional Economic Impact Reports, and the Sentinel Landscape in NC for the MCICOM Community Digest; she was featured as a Desert Survival expert in the San Bernardino Desert Sun and NPR’s Savvy Traveler program.