People

Susan brings to ESIP over a decade of nonprofit management experience with both national and regional organizations and a diverse 20 year career in the environmental field spanning international consulting, federal and state public policy, state government, outdoor recreation and conservation experience. Prior to joining ESIP, Susan served as Vice President and Director of Programs for Chesapeake Conservancy a regional conservation organization based in Annapolis, MD dedicated to restoring the health of the nation’s largest estuary and connecting people to the Bay. She worked closely with the organization’s Board of Directors, led the program, administration and finance teams of this $7 million organization with 40 staff that span from Central Pennsylvania to Southern Virginia.

Susan has a passion for data driven solutions. She served for 8 years on NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel federal advisory committee. In that role she provided guidance to NOAA on the use of their hydrographic products and services and witnessed the challenges and opportunities with the management of large data sets, coordination among federal and state agencies and the challenges that come with authoritative data and the growing push for crowdsourcing and community science. At Chesapeake Conservancy Susan worked closely with the organization’s GIS team, the Conservation Innovation Center, one of Microsoft’s first for their AI for Earth grant recipients and a regular collaborator with Esri. In her work, Susan encouraged policy makers and funders throughout the Chesapeake watershed to use high resolution land cover data to align stakeholders and improve models to better understand the landscape and prioritize restoration investments.

Susan holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from American University. Susan lives in Severna Park, MD. In her free time Susan loves spending time on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and two boys on their family sailboat or fleet of kayaks.

Mark is a geographer with more than 30 years experience in researching, developing, and implementing data stewardship policies, practices, and systems. He has repeatedly and effectively built dynamic, functional collaborations across all sorts of differences in language and professional cultures. Mark was the first Secretary General of the Research Data Alliance. He has helped coordinate stewardship of a broad range of data from satellite remote sensing to Indigenous knowledge of Arctic change, supporting NASA, NOAA, NSF, the Sloan Foundation, and the European Commission. He led the data management effort for the International Polar Year and helped establish the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA). His published work has guided national and international data policies and practice and has contributed to educational programs. Mark lives in Colorado and likes to ride bicycles, bake bread, and play outside.

Patty brings over 25 years of Human Resources and Administrative experience. Before joining ESIP Patty was the Vice President of Administration at the Chesapeake Conservancy where she managed the growth of the organization to nearly double the size. Patty specializes in recruiting, compensation and organization design, and employee policy. Her administrative experience consists of bookkeeping, office management, board relations, and logistics. As ESIP’s Director of Operations Patty manages the internal operations of the organization and meeting logistics.

Alycia is dedicated to fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability in science communities, drawing on her expertise in environmental science, citizen science, and community engagement. With experience spanning academia, nonprofits, and large-scale research initiatives, she excels at building and strengthening networks that empower individuals to share knowledge and make positive impacts. She believes that well-supported communities are the foundation for better science and drive more effective solutions to complex global challenges.

Zoe is a science communicator and writer, with a focus on earth sciences and the environment and a strong background working for non-profits. She also has experience in policy and public affairs, having worked for the U.S. Congress as a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow. Zoe is invested in bringing the impact of science to the public, collaborative researchers, and key decision makers. Joining ESIP in 2025 as Communications Director, she manages the website; drives the content and creation of blogs, newsletters, social media; and helps connect community members and ESIP Partners.

Zoe’s academic background is in oceanography and deep-earth geochemistry research at the University of Rhode Island, with some acoustics work at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In her spare time, she competes in rowing, takes care of her garden, and can be found either hiking or skiing with her husband along the Colorado Front Range.

Aaron Friesz is a seasoned geospatial professional with a passion for advancing open and collaborative science. He brings over a decade of experience working with NASA’s Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC), where he played a key role in facilitating data access and community engagement. Prior to his tenure at NASA, Aaron worked as a contract research geographer at the USGS EROS.

Aaron is dedicated to lowering barriers around data access and fostering connections among diverse communities. He is excited to have joined the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) community in November 2024.

Outside of work we can find Aaron at dance competitions for his two daughters or upkeeping his landscaping and fruit plants at his home in Fort Myers, FL – it’s impossible to keep up with.