Meet the U.S. IOOS Program Office

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Meet the U.S. IOOS Program Office staff, learn about their roles and responsibilities, and view the organization chart.

 

IOOS Staff at Oceans 15 Conference

Several IOOS staff members at the Oceans 15 Conference in National Harbor, MD.

Director’s Office

Zdenka Willis, Director

Email: zdenka.s.willis@noaa.gov  Tel: (240) 533-9456

Carl Gouldman, Director (acting)

Email: carl.gouldman@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9454

Erika Brown, Deputy Director (acting)

Email: erika.brown@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9455

Laura Griesbauer, Executive Assistant to the Director

Email: laura.griesbauer@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9456

Jack Oliva, Project Management Support

Email: jack.oliva@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9461

Operations Division (OPS)

Derrick Snowden, Division Chief

Email: derrick.snowden@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9467

Kathleen Bailey, Oceanographer/Physical Scientist

Email: kathleen.bailey@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9449

Becky Baltes, Modeling and Glider Lead

Email: becky.baltes@noaa.gov   

Jennifer Bosch, Oceanographer/Physical Scientist

Email: jennifer.bosch@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9443

Gabrielle Canonico-Hyde, MBON Project Manager

Email: gabrielle.canonico@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9452

Jack Harlan, HF Radar Project Manager

Email: jack.harlan@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 478-9942

LCDR Eric Johnson, Project and Action Officer & Regional Point of Contact

Email: eric.t.johnson@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9456

Hassan Moustahfid, Biology/Ecosystem Project Manager

Email: hassan.moustahfid@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9460

Rob Ragsdale, DMAC Architecture Support

Email: rob.ragsdale@noaa.gov

Tiffany C. Vance, Physical Scientist & Data Manager

Email: tiffany.c.vance@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9445

Micah Wengren, Physical Scientist & Data Manager

Email: micah.wengren@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9441

Bill Woodward, ATN Network Coordinator

Email: bill.woodward@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9442

Regions, Budget, and Policy (RB&P)

Dave Easter, Division Chief (acting) & Regional Point of Contact

Email: dave.easter@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9453

LaValle Brown, Business Manager

Email: lavalle.brown@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9440

Kate Culpepper, Communications Specialist

Email: kate.culpepper@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9457

Debra Esty, Management and Program Analyst

Email: debra.esty@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9446

Regina Evans, Grants Specialist

Email: regina.evans@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9468

Victoria Kromer, Reception and Office Manager

Email: victoria.kromer@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9459

Jenifer Rhoades, Regional Point of Contact

Email: jenifer.rhoades@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9464

Jessica Snowden, Physical Scientist

Email: jessica.snowden@noaa.gov   Tel: (240) 533-9466

Staff Duties


Director’s Office:

Zdenka Willis, Director

Carl Gouldman, Director (acting)

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • NOAA Principal to US Group on Earth Observations (GEO)
  • U.S. Representative to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Regional Alliances Council
  • NOAA representative to the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) Council

Erika Brown, Deputy Director

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Quarterly Congressional visits
  • Compliance with NOS guidelines and policies (e.g. safety, awards, IT, personal)
  • NOAA representative to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC)

Laura Griesbauer, Executive Assistant to the Director

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Director’s and Deputy Director’s calendars
  • Director and Deputy Director travel
  • Director and Deputy Director correspondence
  • Staff support to the Director for International Activities, GOOS, and AmeriGEOSS
  • Manage IOOS Social Media channels
  • Staff support to Director and Deputy projects
  • Special projects as assigned by the Director and Deputy

Jack Oliva, Project Management Support

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Annual planning
  • Gantt tracking
  • Project management tools
  • Business process design
  • Business process improvement
  • Lead for Risk Management coordination

 

OPS:

Derrick Snowden, Division Chief

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Lead the Operations Divisions efforts to establish and maintain the national IOOS system
  • Overall lead for DMAC design and implementation activities including regional implementation and national coordination agreements
  • Member of USGEO Data Management Working group
  • Member of NOC Data and Information Working Group
  • Chair of OceanSITES Data Management Team
  • Functional POC for NOS, NOAA, and interagency data management initiatives

Kathleen Bailey, Oceanographer/Physical Scientist

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Tracking flow of data through various elements of the DMAC system (Regional Data Assembly Centers, IOOS Catalog, NDBC, CO-OPS)
  • DMAC Implementation and user engagement
  • IOOS Member of the QARTOD Board of Advisors
  • DMAC lead for Regional Association Certification

Becky Baltes, Modeling and Glider Lead

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Responsible for all Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed activities
  • Responsible for Modeling Strategy
  • Responsible for National Glider Network activities
  • IOOS co-representative for NOAA’s Ecological Forecasting Roadmap
  • IOOS representative for Subcommittee on Unmanned Systems (SUS) and NOAA UxS team
  • POC for US IOOS non-Federal Glider activities

Jennifer Bosch, Oceanographer/Physical Scientist

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Scientific and technical support to Operations and Communications Division activities
  • Interim liaison to the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee and staff support for the NOAA Representative

Gabrielle Canonico-Hyde, Regional Point of Contact

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Co-Chair, Interagency Biodiversity Working Group
  • Chair, NOAA Biodiversity Team
  • Lead, Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (Marine BON)
  • IOOS lead for:
    •  NOAA Ocean Acidification program
    • Interagency Working Group on Ocean Partnerships
    • NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council – secondary member
    • NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council – secondary member

Jack Harlan, Ph.D., HF Radar Project Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Program and Technical Lead for the US HF Radar network
  • Co-Chair of the HF Radar Global Initiative
  • HF Radar functional Point of Contact for IOOS Regions cooperative agreements
  • IOOS representative to NOAA Alternate Energy Committee

LCDR Eric Johnson, Project and Action Officer

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Point of contact for ACT, AOOS, MARACOOS, and NERACOOS

Hassan Moustahfid, Ph.D., Biology/Ecosystem Project Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Representative to NOAA Biodiversity and the Interagency Working Group Ad Hoc on Biodiversity
  • Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) Biological Integration and Observation Task Team
  • Global Ocean Tracking Network DM Committee
  • Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network – GEO BON Marine Ecosystem Changes and DM Working Groups
  • Chair of National Animal Telemetry Network Member
  • Federal Contracting Officer Representative

Rob Ragsdale, DMAC Architecture Support

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • DMAC Architecture Support
  • IOOS Lead for U.S. IOOS water quality efforts
  • Development of interagency agreements (MOUs/MOAs)

Tiffany C. Vance, Ph.D., Physical Scientist and Data Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • DMAC implementation and architecture
  • DMAC co-lead for Regional Association Certification
  • Functional POC for geospatial, cloud computing, and GIS activities
  • IOOS co-lead for biogeochemical, ocean acidification, and HAB related data
  • Project management for IOOS/Axiom activities

Micah Wengren, Physical Scientist and Data Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Design, develop, provide implementation guidance on DMAC data management standards and procedures
  • Coordinate DMAC community of practice including regional engagement, regional DMAC reporting/review, and technology/collaboration platforms (mailing list, GitHub)
  • Manage the IOOS Catalog project
  • Develop tools and technology to support DMAC goals
  • Liaison to NOAA geospatial and data management working groups

Bill Woodward, ATN Network Coordinator

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Manage the development of the Data Assembly Center (DAC)
  • Coordinate the implementation of the network and grow the network into a sustainable observing system

 

RB&P:

Dave Easter, Division Chief (acting) & Regional Point of Contact

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • IOOS lead for NOAA out-year budgeting process
  • IOOS Lead for current year budget execution and financial management
  • U.S. IOOS implementation and program development
  • Point of contact for CARICOOS, GCOOS, GLOS, and SECOORA
  • IOOS lead for:
    • Development and implementation of RICE certification process
    • Development of the FY 2016 regional funding competition

Kate Culpepper, Communications Specialist

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Communications (e.g., press releases, media events, outreach materials)
  • Education activities
  • Input to weekly NOS and NOAA reports
  • Coordination with NOS Communications and Outreach Division, IOOS Association Education and Outreach Council, NOAA Public Affairs, and NOAA Exhibits

LaValle Brown, Business Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Lead for budget execution and financial management
  • Lead for contract efforts within the office
  • Manages transfers and receipt of funds to other NOAA offices
  • Oversees IOOS travel authorizations

Debra Esty, Management and Program Analyst

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Supports IOOS in budgetary planning and annual operating plans
  • Implements budget execution and financial management
  • Monitors and provides oversight on all phases of IOOS grant management and cooperative agreements

Regina Evans, Grants Specialist

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Lead for grants management, compliance and budget execution
  • Lead for monitoring and oversight of cooperative agreements
  • Lead for publication of funding opportunities and compliance with funding competition policies and procedures
  • Lead for the NEPA Programmatic Environmental Assessment
  • Federal Acquisition Certification Contracting Officer Representative (FAC-COR) Level I

Victoria Kromer, Reception and Office Manager

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Reception and Office Manager:
  • Office Management and Security
  • Travel manager
  • IOOS meeting coordination and support
  • Supports the U.S. IOOS Advisory Committee
  • Assists in development of interagency agreements (e.g. MOUs/MOAs)

Jenifer Rhoades, Regional Point of Contact

  • Point of contact for CeNCOOS, NANOOS, PacIOOS, and SCCOOS
  • Ocean Technology Transition Project Manager
  • NOS Co-Lead for Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Under Keel Clearance Project
  • IOOS lead for:
    • IOOS legislation implementation and re-authorization
    • Congressional affairs

Jessica Snowden, Physical Scientist

Programmatic Responsibilities:

  • Supports IOOS in NOAA’s out-year budget process
  • Supports IOOS in NOAA’s out-year budget process
  • Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the IOOS Federal Advisory Committee
  • Supports Program Office representative to the Interagency Ocean Observing Committee (IOOC)
  • National Ocean Policy engagement
  • Annual Operating Plans