Alan Leonardi has a multi-decade history of experience and leadership responsibilities in the ocean science, research, management, and education community. An employee of NOAA since 2003, Dr. Leonardi previously served as the Director of the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, where he led the National Ocean Exploration Program and served as Co-Chair of the interagency National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and National Oceanographic Partnership Program Interagency Working Group. Prior to this, Dr. Leonardi provided operational management and leadership as Deputy Director of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorology Laboratory; led science policy and planning as Deputy Director of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation; and served as the strategic lead and Program Manager for NOAA’s cross-Agency Environmental Modeling Program. In May 2021, Dr. Leonardi was appointed the President and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, a position he served in until July 2022.
Beyond his government experience, Dr. Leonardi has also held numerous academic research and adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Maryland, Miami Dade College, Broward College, and James Madison University and served in a variety of advisory capacities including with the Washington Math Science Technology Public Charter School, the Miami Maritime and Science Technology Academy, the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE Science Advisory Board, the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative, the EU Horizon 2020 funded ATLAS and iAtlantic efforts, and as a member of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Visiting Committee.
Dr. Leonardi earned his undergraduate degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and his master’s and doctorate degrees in physical oceanography from Florida State University.
