NOAA Transition: Political Leadership
William J. Brennan, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
NOAA Deputy Administrator and Acting NOAA Administrator
William J. Brennan has dedicated his career to marine and environmental policy matters at the state, regional, national and international level. In June 2008, President Bush appointed Brennan the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator of NOAA. In this role, he is responsible for managing NOAA's science and operational programs.
Previously, Brennan served as NOAA's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Affairs. In this role, he led NOAA's international efforts associated with the global oceans, atmosphere, and space. These efforts helped us to better understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, conserve and manage coastal and marine resources, protect life and property, and to provide decision makers with reliable scientific information.
Since 2006, Brennan also has served as acting director of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the interagency program that coordinates and integrates scientific research on changes in climate and related systems. CCSP is composed of 13 federal scientific agencies and integrates the planning and budgeting of federal climate and global change activities.
Bill Brennan began his professional career in 1977 with NOAA's Fisheries Service at its Woods Hole laboratory where much of his time was devoted to cooperative international fisheries research. In 1983, he left NOAA to take a staff position in the U.S. House of Representatives working on issues before the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee. In 1987, he was appointed to a Cabinet position as Secretary of the State of Maine's Department of Marine Resources. In 1994, he opened a private consulting firm providing marine and environmental policy guidance to businesses and governments. During the same period he held the position of Professor of Ocean Policy with the Corning School of Ocean Studies.
Bill Brennan holds a B.S. degree in marine biology, a M.A. degree in marine policy and a Ph.D. in ecology and environmental sciences. Brennan, his wife Heather, and their three children reside in Maryland.
Timothy R.E. Keeney
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
On April 8, 2002, Timothy R.E. Keeney was sworn in as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere. In this capacity, Keeney is a key member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's management team. NOAA is the nation's top government science and environmental management agency and is led by Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (ret.).
At NOAA, Keeney is responsible for environmental policy, strategic planning and program analysis. Keeney's major responsibilities include cross-cutting programs such as coral reefs, invasive species, habitat restoration and observation systems.
Keeney earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1970 and a doctor of laws degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1976. He also completed the environmental leadership program at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Keeney has served in numerous public and private positions throughout his career. Most recently, he served as director of environmental services for Northeast Utilities Service Company in Hartford, Conn., beginning February 1998.
During his career, Keeney has held several environmental management and regulatory positions, including NOAA general counsel, and director of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management at the NOAA Oceans and Coasts Service. He served as commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Keeney was also president of Dufrane Nuclear Services, Inc. in Avon, Conn.
A retired captain in the United States Navy, Keeney’s last duty assignment concluded in June 2005. Prior to retiring, he was commander of Naval Reserve SEAL Forces, Naval Warfare Command, at Coronado Naval Amphibious Base San Diego, Calif.
Mr. Keeney and his wife, Mary, have five children: Clinton, Timothy, Jr., Emily, Lucy and Grace.
Jane C. Luxton
NOAA General Counsel
Office of the General Counsel
Jane C. Luxton is the General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She serves as the chief legal officer for all NOAA activities and as a policy advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. As General Counsel, Ms. Luxton provides overall management and leadership to more than 100 attorneys. Legal issues at NOAA include those relating to coastal zone management; operation of weather and environmental satellites; management of the nation’s marine fisheries; protection of marine mammals and threatened and endangered species; mitigation and restoration of natural resource damages; monitoring oceanic, atmospheric, and climatic data; and mapping and charting U.S. waters.
In 1978, Ms. Luxton was appointed as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1981, she served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. While at the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Luxton received the Attorney General's Award for prosecution of complex litigation. Between 1981 and 1999, Ms. Luxton practiced law in the private sector in both corporate and law firm settings. From 1999 until 2007, Ms. Luxton was a partner in the law firm of King and Spalding in Washington, D.C., where her environmental practice focused on federal and state environmental law as well as international environmental regulation. She served for five years as chair of the firm’s Washington, D.C. pro bono committee. She also has extensive experience in international trade and antitrust matters.
Ms. Luxton graduated from Harvard University and Cornell Law School. She is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the District of Columbia Bar and chairs the International Environmental Law Committee of the ABA's Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.
Carla Sullivan
NOAA Chief of Staff
Carla C. Sullivan is Chief of Staff at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reporting directly to NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) and serving as the chief adviser on policy, personnel and budget matters. Sullivan oversees a staff of 115 people with a $25 million budget that directly supports the NOAA Administrator. Sullivan is charged with integrating policy and budget priorities and aligning programs in support of the NOAA strategic plan and budget of $3.9 billion (FY 2005). Sullivan works with NOAA senior management to ensure that NOAA programs are delivering products and services to the taxpayer in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Sullivan works closely with NOAA’s partnering organizations and plays a key role in communicating NOAA priorities to the Department of Commerce, Office of Management and Budget, and Congress.
Sullivan joined the NOAA team in 2002 as a Policy Advisor, becoming Senior Policy Advisor in 2003. Her duties included coordinating special projects and serving as the agency liaison to the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. Sullivan also served from 2002-2007 as the Executive Secretary for the National Science & Technology Council’s Committee on Environment & Natural Resources (CENR) and is currently Executive Secretary to the United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO). For the past 5 years, Sullivan has represented the Department of Commerce on the Minerals Management Service Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee. She has also served as NOAA’s representative to the organizing committee of the Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference.
Prior to joining NOAA, Sullivan was the Manager of Government Affairs for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers where she formulated and advocated positions on matters affecting the chemical engineering profession, including energy and environment issues and research and development funding. Sullivan was Washington editor for three of the institute’s publications: Chemical Engineering Progress, Process Safety Progress, and Environmental Progress
During her time in Washington, D.C., Sullivan has also served as Director of Energy and Natural Resources for the National Association of Manufacturers and on the legislative staff for Mississippi Senator Trent Lott.
After receiving her juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi, Sullivan worked as an Attorney with Crosthwait, Terney, Noble & Allain in Jackson, MS, in general civil and corporate practice.
Karl E. Anderson
Director, Office of Legislative Affairs
Karl Anderson began his service as Director in the Office of Legislative Affairs in August of 2008, having previously joined NOAA as a Congressional Affairs Specialist following his appointment by President Bush in 2005. In his position, Mr. Anderson serves as the agency’s chief legislative officer.
Mr. Anderson previously served in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs as a Legislative Affairs Specialist. Mr. Anderson’s responsibilities included overseeing the legislative agenda for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on legislative issues.
Prior to joining NOAA, Mr. Anderson served as Legislative Director for Representative George R. Nethercutt, Jr. Mr. Anderson began his career on Capitol Hill as a Senior Legislative Assistant for Representative Mike Simpson. Mr. Anderson graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.
Anson Franklin
Director, NOAA Office of Communications (Political Appointee)
Mr. Franklin was named director of NOAA’s new Office of Communications in January, 2007. He came to NOAA from the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, where he had served for the last six years as director of the Office of Congressional, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs. In that capacity he directed the nuclear weapons and nonproliferation agency’s relations with Congress as well as the news media.
Mr. Franklin’s extensive career in governmental relations and public affairs spans Federal and state government and the private sector. During the Reagan Administration he served at the White House as Assistant Press Secretary to the President and later as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Congressional, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs. President George H. W. Bush nominated him to be Assistant Administrator for External Affairs at the Agency for International Development.
Mr. Franklin has also served as vice president of corporate communications for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., a Fortune 500 publishing company, and as a public affairs and government relations consultant in Washington.
Earlier in his career he worked in several political campaigns and was campaign manager for statewide races in Virginia and Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
Edward Morris
Director, Office of Space Commercialization
Edward M. Morris was appointed Director, Office of Space Commercialization (OSC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce in January, 2006. The Office of Space Commercialization (OSC) is responsible for implementing national space policies and promoting the capabilities of the U.S. commercial space industry. It acts as an industry liaison within the Executive Branch to ensure the U.S. Government maximizes its use of commercially available space goods and services, avoids legal and regulatory impediments, and does not compete with the U.S. space industry. OSC also supports the Deputy Secretary of Commerce in his role as a member of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee and hosts the National Space-Based PNT Coordination Office (NCO). He is also the U.S. Government representative and co-chair of the U.S.-European Union Global Positioning System (GPS)-Galileo Working Group on Trade and Civil Applications. The working group is responsible for addressing non-discrimination and other trade related issues concerning civil satellite-based navigation and timing services and their augmentations. The objective of the working group is to ensure equal access to GPS and Galileo capabilities by worldwide government and industry users.
Prior to his appointment with NOAA, Ed worked with Orbital Sciences Corporation from 1991 to 2006. His most recent position was Senior Director of the Washington, D.C. Operations, responsible for development and implementation of White House, federal agency, and legislative strategies supporting company space technology, missile defense and tactical weapons programs. He received the Outstanding Management Award in 2001 for achievement of key company business development goals. In 1997, he was assigned as Director of Business Development for the Launch Systems Group, primarily responsible for technical and marketing roles for missile defense, international, and classified program new business initiatives. Other Orbital assignments included project management and systems engineering of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and commercial launch services valued at $100M.
Ed served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1991 in Space Acquisition, Launch Operations, and HQ USAF staff positions. He transferred in 1991 to the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he has served in a variety of staff and personnel leadership positions attaining the rank of Colonel. He has received a number of military awards and is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and Squadron Officer’s School where he was a distinguished graduate. Ed has a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Rutgers University, Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, and is a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security.
Ed and his wife Geary, live in Falls Church, Virginia.
James W. Balsiger Ph.D.
Acting Assistant Administrator of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Dr. Balsiger was appointed the Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries on February 17, 2008. He oversees the management and conservation of marine fisheries and the protection of marine mammals, sea turtles and coastal fisheries habitat within the United States exclusive economic zone. The National Marine Fisheries Service protects and preserves the Nation’s living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, law enforcement, and habitat conservation.
Dr. Balsiger began his career with NOAA in 1977 and has held other leadership roles in the National Marine Fisheries Service during his tenure. Since May 2000, he has served as the Alaska Regional Administrator in Juneau, Alaska. He was the Regional Science and Research Director at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA, where he also served as Deputy Science Director from 1991 through 1995. Prior to that, he was the Program Leader for the Status of Stocks Task within the Center’s Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division from 1977 to 1991.
Dr. Balsiger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan; a Master of Science degree in Forest Silviculture from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana; and a Ph.D. in Quantitative Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2002, President Bush awarded him a Meritorious Award for sustained superior accomplishments throughout his career.