Carolyn is a retired scientist with a background in Lake County government. During her tenure with the county, she specialized in areas such as invasive species, watershed management, and land and water use permitting. She held key roles in managing programs like the Aquatic Plant Management Program for Clear Lake, the Lake County Quagga and Zebra Mussel Prevention Program, and was an active member of the Clear Lake Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force. Her responsibilities included grant writing, grant management, permit monitoring, as well as water, soil, and sediment sampling, and analysis.

Carolyn's educational background spans England and the United States, where she obtained BS degrees in Biology and Manufacturing Engineering, as well as MS degrees in Technology of Crop Protection and Viticulture. She is a certified lab analyst and holds a Pesticide Control Adviser License.

Since relocating to Lake County in 2000, Carolyn and her husband have developed a deep appreciation for the county's diversity, especially Clear Lake, which they consider a hidden national treasure. This passion inspired Carolyn to co-found CLERC, an organization aimed at addressing the numerous ecological questions surrounding Clear Lake.