BOEM Leadership

    BOEM is led by a Director appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The Director is supported by senior executives who manage national programs, policy and budget in the bureau's Washington, D.C. Headquarters. Each of the Bureau's three Regions (Alaska, the Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico) has a Regional Director responsible for management and program implementation. 

    Leadership Team

    Science Advisor Robert P. LaBelle
    Robert LaBelle recently served as the acting Deputy Director for BSEE and as the Associate Director for Offshore Energy at BOEMRE. As Science Advisor, he contributes to management of key facets of the US offshore renewable energy program. Mr. LaBelle is also the Federal Co-Chair of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, a state/federal partnership to advance ocean planning and related science in New England. He previously served as the Environmental Division Chief and as the Technology Assessment and Research Program Chief. Mr. LaBelle earned degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (BS, Biology), the University of Maryland (MS, Biology), and Loyola College, MD (MBA, Management). He received the DOI Citation for Distinguished Service (2008) in recognition of his career scientific and management accomplishments.

    Chief Environmental Officer Dr. Alan D. Thornhill
    Dr. Alan Thornhill was named as the first CEO in November 2011, transitioning into the new Bureau from his previous tenure as Science Advisor to the Director (both MMS and BOEMRE), which he began in March 2010. Dr. Thornhill brings a long history of academic and NGO experience to this important new role for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management—including nearly a decade as the Executive Director of the Society for Conservation Biology, a global association of over 10,000 conservation science professionals. He has previously served as the Director of Learning and Communications for the Science Division at The Nature Conservancy, and was a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in the 1990s. Dr. Thornhill continues his academic engagement through a long-term affiliation with the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech. Dr. Thornhill earned his Bachelors and Ph.D. degrees in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Irvine.

    Budget and Program Coordination Division Chief Jim Anderson
    Jim Anderson has been selected to serve as the Chief of the Budget and Program Coordination Division for BOEM. Since 2004, Jim has served as the MMS/BOEMRE Budget Officer where he has been responsible for the formulation and execution of the Bureau’s annual budget. Jim completed his undergraduate degree at Northeastern University in Boston and obtained a graduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a graduate of the Department of the Interior’s Team Leadership Program.

    Strategic Resources Chief Renee Orr
    Renee Orr has more than 23 years of experience with the Department of the Interior. Ms. Orr has overseen the staff implementation teams that have been at the core of the Bureau's reorganization effort, and previously served as Chief of Leasing, where she was responsible for the development and completion of several 5-Year Oil and Gas Leasing Programs. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and History from Metropolitan State College in Denver.  

    Renewable Energy Program Manager Maureen A. Bornholdt
    Maureen Bornholdt is the Renewable Energy Program Manager for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Ms. Bornholdt has more than 32 years of experience with the Department of the Interior. She most recently served as the Program Manager for BOEMRE's Offshore Renewable Energy Program. Ms. Bornholdt earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from George Mason University.

    Division of Environmental Sciences Chief Dr. Rodney E. Cluck
    Dr. Rodney Cluck holds a Ph.D. in environmental sociology from Mississippi State University and a Masters Degree in Rural Sociology from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. For 6 years, beginning in 1999, Dr. Cluck served as the senior Bureau social scientist where he developed and oversaw scientific studies and conducted National Environmental Policy Act analysis. In 2005, Dr. Cluck joined the Office of Alternative Energy Programs and became the project manager for the United States’ first offshore wind facility. Dr. Cluck is currently the Chief of the Division of Environmental Sciences where he leads the Environmental Studies Program, the scientific backbone that informs policy decisions regarding leasing and development of ocean energy.

    Gulf of Mexico Region Director John Rodi
    John Rodi, BOEM Gulf of Mexico Regional Director, has more than 40 years of federal service with five different agencies. Before being selected for his current position, he served as Deputy Regional Director of BOEMRE’s Gulf of Mexico Region since November 2007. Mr. Rodi has both a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Economics from Tulane University and from the University of New Orleans, respectively. 

    Alaska Region Director Dr. James Kendall
    Dr. James Kendall is the Alaska Regional Director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Dr. Kendall has over 27 years of experience with the Department of the Interior. He most recently served as the BOEMRE Alaska Regional Director. Dr. Kendall earned a Bachelor's Degree in biology from Old Dominion University, a Ph.D. in oceanography from Texas A&M University, and a Post-doctoral Fellowship in Marine Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Senior Executive Fellows Program of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

    Pacific Region Director Ellen G. Aronson
    Ellen G. Aronson is the Pacific Regional Director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Ms. Aronson has over 33 years of experience with the Department of the Interior. She most recently served as the BOEMRE Pacific Regional Director. Ms. Aronson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Sara Lawrence College and a Master's of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California.