Dr. Alan Leonardi is the president and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), which represents the leading ocean science, research, and technology organizations from academia, industry, and the larger nonprofit sector (to include philanthropy, associations, and aquariums) from around the United States.

Prior to COL, he spent 18 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), most recently as director of the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER). In this role, Dr. Leonardi oversaw and supported expeditionary exploration activities, which combined traditional at-sea exploration and science technologies, emerging advanced technologies such as autonomous maritime systems, and high-speed networks and infrastructure for live communications – including high-definition video of the seafloor – to scientists and other audiences ashore. At NOAA, he also served as acting director and deputy director of the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation; manager for the Environmental Modeling Program; and deputy director of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Dr. Leonardi has advanced ocean exploration, research, and technology through service on several councils and advisory boards, including as co-chair of the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization (NOMEC) Council and as a member of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI)Advisory Board, A Trans-AtLantic Assessment and deep-water ecosystem-based Spatial management plan for Europe (ATLAS), Integrated Assessment of Atlantic Marine Ecosystems in Space and Time (iAtlantic), and the Scientific Advisory Board that provided advice and guidance to the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE.

Dr. Leonardi received his master’s and doctorate degrees in physical oceanography from Florida State University and his undergraduate degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.