Jeff is the Field Support lead for the NEON program, managing Systems Integration and Maintenance, Construction, Permitting, Logistics, Service Desk/Incident Response and Insurance for NEON Operations. Prior to this role, Jeff was the Director of Facilities and Civil Construction on the NEON Construction Project beginning in 2010. He has over 30 years of construction and maintenance experience. Jeff is a graduate of Western State Colorado University with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance, in addition to having his PMP.
Margaret is the Flora Field Ecologist III at the Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau Domain (D07) based out of East Tennessee and has been with NEON for over 9 years. Her role involves leading a team of technicians to collect ecological data and ensures the accuracy and integrity of the flora-related data products. In addition, she is a NEON Certified Trainer, is the office’s IT liaison and Outreach liaison, and schedules all Terrestrial Observation activities. She has an M.S.
Wilmarie is a Technician Specialist - Botany and Below Ground Mass Lead in Domain 04: Atlantic Neotropical. She has worked with NEON since 2015. Currently she is also the D04 Outreach Liaison, a safety officer, certified trainer, video assessment team leader, and member of the collaborative collective execution and review team. Wilmarie has a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science from the University of Puerto Rico, and an MBA in Human Research from Interamerican University.
Caleb is currently in a split role at NEON shared between Field Science and the Terrestrial Instrument System (TIS) Science Team. For Field Science, Caleb maintains NEON flux towers and soil sensor arrays in the Great Lakes Domain. For the TIS Science team, Caleb focuses on Observatory TIS monitoring and data quality improvement /optimization for the eddy covariance gas system.
Zack Lafaver has been with the NEON program since 2016, holding positions ranging from temporary technician to aquatic technician specialist. He has worked at NEON's D06, D17, and D10/13 offices, where he currently works. Zack earned his Bachelor's in Biology from Nazareth College and a Master's in Ecology from SUNY ESF.
Steve has served as the NEON Systems Architect and Manager of Cyberinfrastructure for NEON since 2016. He led a software engineering and systems administration group to the completion of NEON’s construction phase, designed new architecture for various components of NEON systems and software, and guided staff to identify and adopt new solutions and approaches. Prior to NEON, Steve was a Technical Director in Battelle’s Cyber Innovations Unit and technical lead on various classified programs.
Tanya Maslak is the Engagement Lead for the NEON Program, managing the Observatory’s engagement, education, and outreach activities since she joined NEON in March 2024. She has worked with Battelle since 2016. She brings an interdisciplinary approach to better understanding impacts and informing decision-making to address human dimensions of environmental change, both domestically and internationally.
JoLeisa earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife and a Masters of Science in Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. JoLeisa has over 13 years' experience in ecology, and related natural resources fields. She has a passion for mammalogy and has led sampling efforts for multiple species and projects during her time in this field.
Brendan Roberts is a Test Engineer working on the Airborne Observation Platform (AOP). Brendan's degrees are a B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Bioastronautics. In graduate school, he spent time in Antarctica training on lidar and remote sensing, running a ground-based resonant fluorescence lidar that measured wind and temperature up to the Lower Thermosphere. For Brendan, staying on a path that led to adventure and working with lasers was a major driver to joining the NEON AOP.
