2012 SPEAKER BIOs
Claudine Bradley is Technical Leader, Safety for the National Energy Board, Canada’s federal agency responsible for regulating international and interprovincial aspects of the oil, gas and electric utility industries. Claudine provides leadership and counsel on management systems, safety culture and other matters related to the regulation of activities under the jurisdiction of the Board. Prior to joining the Board, Claudine spent 17 years in the private sector where she developed and implemented safety management systems, led human and organizational factors initiatives, and managed regulatory compliance for flight operations in the airline industry. Claudine holds a Political Science degree from McGill University and is currently a Masters candidate at Royal Roads University. Claudine lives on the west coast of Vancouver Island with her husband and family. You can reach Claudine at
Linda Daugherty serves as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety – Policy and Programs and has worked with the Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for over 22 years. Ms. Daugherty leads the efforts of the Enforcement, Engineering, Regulatory, Training and Qualifications, State Program and Program Development Divisions within PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety. Ms. Daugherty started her engineering career with a hazardous liquid pipeline company and then joined PHMSA as an inspector/investigator. She directed the national enforcement program and served as the emergency response coordinator for nine years. She was the Director of the PHMSA’s Southern Region in Atlanta until her appointment as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy and Programs in Washington in 2010.
J. Andrew Drake – Andy Drake is vice president of asset integrity for Spectra Energy Transmission. He is responsible for operational compliance, operational business systems and strategic projects. Prior to being named to his current position in June 2011, Drake served as vice president of transmission services. Drake joined predecessor company Texas Eastern in 1982 as an engineer. He has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career, including manager of construction, general manager of technical services, and vice president of engineering and construction. Drake earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and systems engineering from Ohio State University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas. Drake has held leadership positions on numerous technical committees and regulatory initiatives within the natural gas industry, including chairing the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Gas Piping Standards Committee and representing the U.S. natural gas infrastructure industry on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Technical Advisory Committee on Pipeline Safety. He currently chairs the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America’s Integrity Management Initiative.
Steve Fischer is the Director of Program Development for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Steve and his team develop, implement, and lead initiatives that focus on improving stakeholder understanding of pipelines, pipeline risks and mitigation strategies, and the role that stakeholders play in ensuring pipeline safety in their communities. Program Development has developed a number of pipeline safety awareness, communication, outreach, and education efforts to accomplish its mission. Specific programs include damage prevention, 811 awareness, public awareness, emergency planning and response, Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance, state damage prevention and technical assistance grants, national Community Assistance and Technical Services (CATS) coordination, and the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). Prior to joining DOT, Steve worked both in the private and municipal sectors, working on multiple geospatial data conversion, integration, and implementation projects, including the operation and maintenance of city and county level geographic information systems. Steve holds a Master of Arts degree in Geography from Binghamton University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Central Arkansas.
Larry Hjalmarson serves as vice president of safety, environmental and gas pipeline integrity of Williams Gas Pipeline. Appointed in 2010, he leads the company’s natural gas pipelines’ efforts in pipeline integrity and safety; environmental, health and safety; and operations performance. He has 35 years experience in the natural gas industry and began his career with Williams in 1982. He held several positions of increasing responsibility during his 30 years with the company, in various capacities including both midstream and gas pipeline operations. Hjalmarson also served as operations director of Williams Venezuela facilities. Prior to being named to his current position, Hjalmarson served as vice president of operations for Williams Gas Pipeline. He serves as chairman of the Southern Gas Association Transmission Operations and Maintenance Committee, and serves on the INGAA Operations Safety & Environmental Committee and the INGAA Task Force on Integrity Management Continuous Improvement, leading the emergency preparedness and response effort.
Jeffrey Insko writes and maintains the Line 6B Citizens’ Blog (http://grangehallpress.com/Enbridgeblog/), a resource for Michigan landowners affected by the Enbridge Line 6B pipeline replacement project, the same line that ruptured in Marshall, Michigan in 2010. He and his wife Katy Bodenmiller became active with pipeline safety after negotiating with Enbridge for the use of their property. Recognizing a lack of public awareness, regulatory oversight, and knowledge and communication among affected landowners, Jeff and Katy sought to help inform property owners and encourage greater scrutiny of the project, launching the blog as a source of information, contacting media outlets, encouraging local municipalities to hold public forums, and organizing fellow property owners. In addition to their public advocacy and informational awareness efforts, Jeff and Katy are members of the Protect Our Land Rights Legal Defense Fund (POLAR), a non-profit fund established by concerned landowners to assist those facing condemnation of their property. Jeff holds a PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is an Associate Professor of American Literature at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Jordan Janak is the Sr. Director of Environmental & Regulatory Compliance for Plains All American Pipeline, L. P. His responsibilities include directing compliance with all federal, state and local environmental and pipeline safety regulations, including emergency response planning, preparedness and training. He also serves on the American Petroleum Institute Environmental, Health and Safety Group under the API Pipeline Sub-Committee. He has participated in various forums focused on enhancing pipeline emergency response and pipeline safety regulatory issues. Mr. Janak has over 25 years of experience in both liquid and natural gas pipeline operations. Prior to joining Plains All American, he spent over 11 years as a pipeline engineer with an engineering consulting firm specializing in pipeline engineering design and construction management of liquid and gas pipelines. Mr. Janak has a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Houston.
Pete Kirsch serves as Senior VP Midstream Technical & Compliance Services working out of Houston, Texas. His primary areas of responsibility include pipeline safety, data integrity, environmental & safety, technical training, and workforce development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Pete has previously served in a variety of roles in the operations, engineering, planning, and business development functions. Prior to joining CenterPoint Energy in 1990, Pete worked for General Electric, where he graduated from GE’s Manufacturing Management Program, and for Shell Offshore, where he worked with offshore oil and gas production platforms and gathering systems in the Gulf of Mexico. Pete is an active member of INGAA’s Operations, Safety, & Environmental Committee, INGAA’s Integrity Management Continuous Improvement Steering Committee, and Pipeline Research Council International’s (PRCI) Audit & Finance Committee, and serves on the Boards of INGAA Foundation and PRCI. In 2013, he will serve as chairman of INGAA’s Pipeline Safety Committee.
Don Kopczynski is vice president for Avista Corp. He began his career with Avista in 1979 as an electrical engineer. He has broad experience in utility and energy operations, including in the areas of customer service, power supply, generation and production resources, fuel cells, and fiber optic deployment. Kopczynski earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Idaho. He earned a Master of Science degree in engineering from Washington State University and a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University and a master of Business Administration from Whitworth University. Kopczynski is chairman of the American Gas Association Operations Committee, and serves as a board member for the Transmission Expansion Public Policy Committee. He also serves on Advisory Board for the University of Idaho College of Engineering and the Washington State University College of Engineering and Architecture.
Randy Knepper has been the Director of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s Safety Division since 2005. His duties include: oversight of the Commission’s pipeline safety program, investigations of accidents, emergency planning and response, security reviews, technical reviews of utility petitions, frequently providing staff testimony of utility programs and maintains administrative oversight with enforcement authority of the New Hampshire Underground Damage Prevention Program. In addition, his appointments include positions within the Governor of New Hampshire’s Advisory Committee for Emergency Preparedness and Security and the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee. Nationally, Mr. Knepper serves as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Pipeline Safety Committee, as Chair of the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) and is a member of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Committee. Mr. Knepper authored the first edition of the comprehensive Compendium of State Pipeline Safety Requirement & Initiatives Compared to Code of Federal Regulations published in 2011. Mr. Knepper’s educational background includes a BSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester, and a MSE in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New Hampshire.
Emily Krafjack serves on the Advisory Board of The Institute for Energy & Environmental Research for Northeastern Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission, “Stronger Economies Together” Land Use Work Group. Emily strives to be a centrist about natural gas development recognizing both the challenges and the benefits for Marcellus Shale communities, promoting balance between the environment, public health and safety, community and the needs of industry, while maintaining rural and agricultural integrity. Emily has been very active on a variety of Marcellus Shale issues including advocating for improved regulations pertaining to Class 1 Area Gathering Lines/Pipeline Safety in Pennsylvania. Emily has lived in Wyoming County for most of her life and presently has three Marcellus Shale Natural Gas wells within a few hundred feet of her home, along with many others within a three mile radius. Marcellus Shale pipeline infrastructure is just beginning permitting and placement in Wyoming County. Emily has B.S. degree from Misericordia University and has attended Wilkes University in pursuit of an MBA. She is employed part time as the Mehoopany Township Secretary – Treasurer.
Bonnie Kruse is a member of the Seward County Groundwater Guardian Team in Seward, Nebraska. She became involved with pipeline safety in 2006 when the first TransCanada Keystone pipeline route was to cross the family farm and the well-head protection area of the City of Seward. With the support of the Seward League of Women Voters, the Seward Citizens on Pipeline Route Committee, the Seward GFWC Woman’s Club and the Pipeline Safety Trust two public forums were held concerning pipeline safety. The Seward Citizens on Pipeline Route Committee was formed to educate and support the local Seward City Council and the Seward County Commissioners, and the Committee and the City Council were successful in forcing TransCanada to treat the City of Seward’s well-head protection area as a High Consequence Area. In 2006 Bonnie Kruse and the Seward League of Women Voters exposed the lack of pipeline legislation in the State of Nebraska, and worked for pipeline legislation that was finally enacted in a Special Session of the Nebraska Unicameral in November of 2011. Bonnie has a degree from Concordia University in Education.
David Lykken is the state director of pipeline safety, of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). Lykken has been with the UTC pipeline safety program for 12 years, most recently as chief engineer. Prior to joining the UTC, Lykken spent 20 years with Puget Sound Energy’s natural gas utility. The UTC regulates the safety practices of 28 pipeline companies and more than 23,000 miles of underground petroleum and natural gas pipelines. Lykken supervises safety inspectors, engineers and policy specialists. Lykken, 54, lives in Chehalis with his wife, Sue, and has three grown children.
Alan Mayberry is the Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and is located in Washington, DC. In his role, Alan oversees PHMSA’s inspection program through five regional offices and its emergency response functions. Prior to his current role, Alan was PHMSA’s Director of the Office of Engineering and Emergency Support, where he supported PHMSA’s program and regional offices on hazardous liquid and natural gas pipeline issues. Alan’s 29 years of natural gas industry experience is split evenly between transmission/distribution engineering and operations roles. Alan attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. He is also a registered professional engineer.
Mark McDonald is the President of the New England Gas Workers Association (NEGWA) and “NatGas Consulting”. These positions have him at the forefront of natural gas industry issues, where he has over twenty years experience. Mark develops and directs legislative agendas affecting labor and gas industry regulations, including testifying before legislative committees and serving as the media point person with regards to accidents and existing hazardous conditions that warrant changes in regulatory structure and improving existing practices. Mark also serves as an expert witness in legal proceedings relative to his industry expertise and as a consultant to municipalities and elected officials regarding natural gas safety. Prior to his employment in the natural gas distribution industry Mark worked in the aviation field. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, leaving with an honorable discharge and joining the Department of Defense to work on classified matters relating to the U.S. aviation industry. Mark has served as a moderator for renowned gas industry workshops and has discussion experience on numerous panels at the national level, where he provides various perspectives on natural gas operations such as leak grading and investigations, underground repairs, gas infrastructure installations and emergency responses.
Amber Pappas brings over 20 years of marketing and public affairs experience to Enterprise Products. She is currently the Senior Public Awareness Specialist at Enterprise, responsible for managing the company’s extensive Public Awareness Program. As a subject matter expert in the area of Public Awareness, Amber has worked to bring public awareness issues to the forefront. In this capacity, she serves on various industry committees, such as the API Public Awareness Group and is currently Co-Chair of the Common Ground Alliance Educational Events Task Team. Prior to her work in the pipeline industry, Amber worked in the legislative arena, serving in various capacities as legislative aide and ran the Texas House of Representatives County Affairs Committee. Amber is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin with a BA in Government.
Craig O. Pierson is President for Marathon Pipe Line LLC. Before, he worked in various operations management positions for Marathon with responsibilities over Gulf Coast operations and the commissioning and the start-up of Centennial Pipeline. He was Operations Manager and Facilities Design Manager for a two-phase development of the Sakhalin Project, which included the offshore and onshore production facilities and pipelines and the oil export terminal. He has worked in various locations in the U.S. and overseas (Syria and Russia).
Cynthia L. Quarterman was sworn in November 16, 2009, by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as the third Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). As the PHMSA Administrator, Ms. Quarterman’s primary responsibilities are to advise the Secretary of the Department of Transportation on all matters pertaining to PHMSA and to direct PHMSA’s national program to protect against the risks to life and property inherent in the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce and of liquid, natural gas, petroleum, and other hazardous energy products by pipeline. Ms. Quarterman was most recently a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she was a member of the Regulatory & Industry Affairs Department. She litigated and advised clients on matters associated with pipeline safety, royalty valuation, federal land minerals management, pipeline acquisitions, and Outer Continental Shelf oil, gas, and liquefied natural gas facilities. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Columbia University School of Law. Prior to law school, she received an Industrial Engineering degree from Northwestern University and worked as an engineer for IBM.
Charles “Charlie” Rittenhouse has worked for a major energy company within natural gas Transmission/Storage for 40 years. He has worked in the construction of compressor stations and as station operators in high capacity Storage, Transmission and Production Stations. He is the President of Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO Local 69 which represents transmission, storage, production and distribution workers in six States. Charlie is an Executive Board member for the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO. He serves as the Steering Committee Member/Coordinator of the UWUA on the Inter-Union Gas Conference which consists of the major unions within the AFL-CIO that represent workers in the natural gas industry. At their annual conference he facilitates the workshop on gas transmission, storage and production. Charlie currently serves on the Governor of West Virginia’s Taskforce dedicated to the study of changing the State vehicle fleet to Natural Gas Vehicles. He resides in West Virginia
Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D. was sworn in as the 40th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board on June 30, 2010 for a term that expires December 31, 2014. Member Rosekind is an internationally recognized fatigue expert who has conducted research and implemented programs in diverse settings, including all modes of transportation. He has published 150 scientific, technical, and industry papers and provided hundreds of presentations to operational, general, and scientific audiences. His contributions have been acknowledged through numerous honors and awards. Prior to joining the Board, Dr. Rosekind was Founder, President and Chief Scientist of Alertness Solutions, a scientific consulting firm that specializes in fatigue management. Before establishing Alertness Solutions, Dr. Rosekind directed the Fatigue Countermeasures Program and was Chief of the Aviation Operations Branch in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division at the NASA Ames Research Center. Prior to his work at NASA, Dr. Rosekind was the Director of the Center for Human Sleep Research at the Stanford University. Member Rosekind earned his A. B. with Honors at Stanford University, his M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. at Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Medical School. Member Rosekind is married and has two children.
Gabriel Scott has been Alaska Field Director for Cascadia Wildlands (www.cascwild.org), in Cordova, since 1998. Cascadia is currently bringing the environmental perspective to the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline in Oregon, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) in Alaska. Gabriel acted as lead advocate in an adjudicatory hearing challenging the oil spill contingency plan for the TAPS, helped launch a coalition effort for a Regional Citizen Advisory Council covering TAPS. He was also involved in environmental advocacy during the Alaska Risk Assessment project, an attempt to analyze and address risks of oilfield infrastructure in Alaska following major corrosion-related spills on the North Slope, and successfully defeated a defective oil spill contingency plan for exploratory drilling at the historic oilfield at Katalla. He recently finished his J.D. (cert. Maritime Law) at Tulane, where he was also involved in litigation following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Helena Seelinger is Senior Director, Public Affairs, Membership and Standards at NACE International, The Corrosion Society. She also serves as the chair of the Pipeline Standards Development Organizations Coordinating Council (PSDOCC), a coalition of organizations that was formed in 2000 to work with PHMSA on regulations in a way that complied with Public Law 104-113, the National Technology Transfer Advancement Act, and to work with the research arm of PHMSA to facilitate research-driven updates to existing technical and engineering standards. Seelinger has been with NACE for more than 25 years and in that time has also served as Director of the NACE Foundation which focuses on education programs for students and teachers, and Director of NACE Education during development of the pipeline industry’s largest corrosion control training and certification program. She has also served as a member of the Kilgore College Board of Advisors for its pipeline-focused corrosion degree program. Seelinger graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Journalism, received her MBA from the University of Houston, and received ASAE Certified Association Executive status in 2007.
Larry Shelton is Manager of Asset Integrity for Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P., in Sugar Land, Texas. He began his pipeline career with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company in 1979, working in Operations & Engineering from 1979 to 1993. He transferred to ARCO Pipe Line Company in 1993 as Manager of Marine Terminals and Offshore Pipelines and later as the Manager of Environment, Health, and Safety. Here he was responsible for ARCO Pipe Line Company’s implementation of the Operations Excellence Systems (OES) program, a safety management system framework. Following the Bellingham tragedy in 1999, he was appointed as one of ARCO’s two representatives on the Olympic Pipe Line Company Board of Directors to help ensure the quality of Olympic’s integrity management improvements. In 2000, Mr. Shelton went to work for Buckeye Pipeline Company as the Senior Manager of Pipeline Integrity and later as the VP of Performance Assurance. He has been in his current position since 2009, where he is responsible for Sunoco’s Pipeline and Tank Integrity Programs. Mr. Shelton has served on numerous industry committees and work groups including chairman of the API Operations Technical Group. Since 2008, he has served on the Office of Pipeline Safety’s Hazardous Liquid Technical Advisory Committee.
Brian Sitterly is currently the Integrity & Regulatory Services Manager for Shell Pipeline Company LP. He has 26 years of pipeline and terminal experience including various positions in engineering, operations, integrity management and regulatory compliance. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio with a B.S. degree in civil engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas. Brian is currently a member of the API Operations Technical Group and of the API/AOPL Performance Excellence Team. He is married and has two school-age sons.
Vanessa Sutherland is Chief Counsel to the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration. Ms. Sutherland joins DOT after seven years as Senior Counsel at Altria Client Services in Richmond, Virginia. In this capacity, she managed technology transactions, procurement matters, data security and privacy issues, packaging, competitive intelligence, U.S. Customs regulatory issues, state and federal audits, and the corporate re-organization, dissolution and spin-off of international entities. Prior to this, Chief Counsel Sutherland spent six years in various legal roles at MCI/WorldCom, including Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for its webhosting and outsourcing subsidiary. She has also worked for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy – Office of Inspector General. In 2010, Vanessa was one of thirty-one lawyers in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be honored as a “Leader in the Law – 2010” for advancing the law, serving the community and improving the justice system in Virginia. Chief Counsel Sutherland holds a J.D. from American University, an M.B.A. from American University, a Certified Information Privacy Professional standing from the IAPP, and a B.A. from Drew University.
Anthony Swift is an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) International Program. He works on a range of issues related to the development, transportation and use of unconventional crude derived from the Canadian tar sands, including pipeline safety and regulation, fossil fuel subsidies, energy security and the federal environmental review process. He has been engaged in the policy discussion surrounding the Keystone XL and Northern Gateway pipeline proposals. He has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Academy of Sciences, the Canadian National Energy Board and the Nebraska Senate on pipeline safety issues relating the transport of diluted bitumen on pipelines. Prior to working at NRDC, Anthony worked as a policy analyst for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, where he worked on alternative fuels, efficiency standards and the National Environmental Policy Act review process. He has a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Biology and Political Science from Austin College.
Beth Wallace is the Community Outreach Regional Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation at their Great Lakes Regional Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Beth works on the Energy and Climate teams providing community organization and outreach for initiatives that support and protect communities, natural resources and wildlife. She has been the lead organizer for the Great Lakes Regional Centers response to the Kalamazoo River oil spill, working to ensure proper response and accountability. Beth also helps to coordinate large regional events like the Great American Backyard Campout, lobby days and the annual Healing Our Waters Conference. Prior to NWF, Beth worked as the International Student Representative with Indiana University South Bend where she was also an active member of the Campus Environmental Planning Team. Beth holds a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Western Michigan University and is currently attending Eastern Michigan University for a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Professionals. Beth’s National Wildlife Federation blog can be found at: http://blog.nwf.org/author/wallaceb/
Carl Weimer is the Executive Director of the national Pipeline Safety Trust. He also serves on the Governor appointed Washington State Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety, as a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and the steering committee for the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance. Mr. Weimer has testified numerous times to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on pipeline safety issues, organized seven national pipeline safety conferences, pushed for stronger pipeline safety legislation at the national and state level, runs the national Safe Pipelines and LNG Safety listservs that include over 800 people from around the country, and regularly serves as an independent source of pipeline safety information for news media, local government, and citizens around the country. Mr. Weimer was elected in 2005 and again in 2009 to the Whatcom County Council. He also currently serves as the chairman of the Northwest Clean Air Agency, and as a member of both the Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District and the Whatcom County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee. He has degrees in Natural Resources and Environmental Education from the University of Michigan, and Industrial Electronics Technology from Peninsula College.
Jeff Wiese is PHMSA’s Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety, a position he also held on an acting basis between July and January 2007. He also served as Acting Deputy Associate Administrator from August to December 2006. During that time he lead implementation of the newly enacted Pipeline, Inspection, Protection, Safety and Enforcement Act of 2006, including creation and rollout of the agency’s enforcement transparency website. Jeff served the agency as its Director for Program Development within the Office of Pipeline Safety for nearly ten years, during a period of rapid growth and transformation in the pipeline safety program. In that role he directed major new policy initiatives, including design, development, and deployment of Integrity Management oversight and improved pipeline public awareness programs. Prior to joining DOT, Jeff worked for fifteen years for the Minerals Management Service (MMS) within the U.S. Department of Interior. At MMS Jeff directed several programs, including the offshore safety management program, and served for five years as Chief of Staff for Offshore Operations. Mr. Wiese has an M.A. from the University of Rhode Island with interdisciplinary focus on science, policy, and economics and a B.S. in General Science from Grinnell College. He has a son and daughter and lives in Reston, VA.