OLIA Staff Directory

Main Office Telephone: 202-482-4981

For general inquiries, please contact OLIA's Director or Deputy Director. 

For inquires related to Tribal Relations or one of NOAA's Line Offices, see
below for contact information and portfolio summaries. 

Leadership

Makeda Okolo
Director
Makeda.Okolo@noaa.gov

Meredith Cameron
Acting Chief of Staff 
Portfolio includes SASH 
Meredith.Cameron@noaa.gov

Intergovernmental Affairs & Tribal Relations

Linda Belton
Senior Policy Advisor 
Tel: 202-482-5447
Linda.Belton@noaa.gov

  • Intergovernmental Affairs - state, county, and community-level outreach.

Becky Cruz Lizama
NOAA Senior Tribal Liaison
Tel: 202-482-0809
Becky.Lizama@noaa.gov

  • Tribal Relations - consultations, communication, and outreach.

Marine and Aviation Operations

Liam Burke
Congressional Affairs Specialist
Tel: 202-482-3259
Liam.Burke@noaa.gov

 

Atmospheric Team

Matthew Borgia
Congressional Affairs Specialist
Tel: 202-482-4981
Matthew.Borgia@noaa.gov

  • National Weather Service (NWS) – all weather-related issues, including: hurricanes & tropical storms; tornadoes & severe storms; winter storms; fire weather; space weather; tsunamis; and forecasts, warnings, alerts, and outlooks.

    Jessica Daniel
    Congressional Affairs Specialist (on detail from EPA)
    Tel. 202-578-4169
    jessica.daniel@noaa.gov

    • Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) – including climate science, ocean exploration and research, ocean acidification, air quality research, invasive species, and drought research, including NIDIS.
    • 2023 Presidential Management Council - Interagency Rotation Program Fellow

    Jessica Eason
    2023 Knauss Sea Grant Fellow
    Tel: 202-768-3774
    Jessica.Eason@noaa.gov

    • Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) - including Cooperative Institutes and UxS

    Christopher (Topher) Holmes
    Congressional Affairs Specialist 
    Tel: 202-482-2272
    Christopher.Holmes@noaa.gov

    • National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) – satellite issues and data, including GOES, POES and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS); Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), including NOAA-wide data and information issues.

    Fisheries Team

    Katherine (Katie) Dziedzic
    Congressional Affairs Specialist
    Tel: 202-317-2362
    Katherine.Dziedzic@noaa.gov

    • National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) – West Coast and Pacific Islands Regions. Protected Species and International fisheries.

    Amber Fandel
    Congressional Affairs Specialist
    Tel: 202-527-3028
    Amber.Fandel@noaa.gov

    • National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) – South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Alaska Regions. Aquaculture; Sustainable Fisheries; and Enforcement.

    Erin Schnettler
    Congressional Affairs Specialist
    Tel: 202-253-4209
    Erin.Schnettler@noaa.gov

    • National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) – Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes Regions. Habitat and Science & Technology.

     

    Oceans Team

    Melanie Jackson
    Congressional Affairs Specialist
    Tel: 202-482-5111
    Melanie.Jackson@noaa.gov

    • National Ocean Service (NOS) -  including National Marine Sanctuaries, National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), Digital Coast, coastal zone management, coral reef conservation, coastal and estuarine land conservation, and marine protected areas. 

    Michael Jarvis
    Congressional Affairs Specialist
    Tel: 202-482-3595
    Michael.Jarvis@noaa.gov

    • National Ocean Service (NOS) – including mapping and charting, geodesy, oil spill response, natural resource damage assessment and restoration, marine debris, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, operational oceanographic products and services, and integrated ocean observing system. 

    Legislative Team

    Velna L. Bullock
    Legislative Affairs Analyst
    Tel: 202-482-5833
    Velna.L.Bullock@noaa.gov

    • Congressional Events Report, mandated Congressional Reports, Legislative Referral Memorandums (LRMs), NOAA's Membership Outreach Database (MOD), NOAA grants, Records Liaison Officer, and special legislative projects.

     

    Administrative Team

    Jenell Wildgoose
    Administrative Support Assistant
    Tel: 202-482-4981
    Jenell.C.Wildgoose@noaa.gov

    • Executive correspondence, procurement, and administrative support for Legislative Affairs.

    Fellows and Scholars

    Jessica Eason
    2023 Knauss Sea Grant Fellow
    Jessica.Eason@noaa.gov

    • Office of Education, NOAA in the Caribbean, Arctic, and NOAA's Regional Collaboration Network.
    2023 Hollings Scholar 
     
    Department of Commerce Intern