The Team

Photo by USGS on Unsplash

Our team has a philosophy of transparency and making data free, a love of the environment, and an optimism that we can change things for the better.

Our people are our best assets

Confronting global environmental challenges both locally and globally means finding the right people to take on a task in ways that no one else has tackled before. And so SkyTruth’s family of staff and consultants includes programmers and others from around the world and from Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where our headquarters are located. You can learn more about each of us below.

Kudos to SkyTruth for spotting this. You guys provide quite a reality check on things.

Rebecca MowbrayTimes-Picayune reporter on SkyTruth Alerts picking up the natural gas pipeline fire off Mudhole Bay, LA

John Amos, Chief Executive Officer

John develops organizational strategy and partnerships, mentors technical staff, and provides remote sensing expertise as needed. He is an expert in the use of satellite images and other remote sensing data to understand and communicate local, regional and global environmental issues. Educated as a geologist (at the University of Wyoming for his M.S. and Cornell University for his B.S.), John spent 10 years applying image processing, image analysis, and digital mapping techniques to conduct environmental, exploration and resource assessment studies for the energy and mining industries and government entities.

In 2001, he founded SkyTruth, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening environmental conservation by illuminating environmental problems and issues through the use of satellite images, aerial photographs, and other kinds of remote sensing and digital mapping. In addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer of SkyTruth, he serves on the board of Global Fishing Watch, a nonprofit organization formed by SkyTruth, Oceana and Google, and on the advisory board of The Ocean Foundation. John and his wife Amy live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Jason Schatz, Chief Technology Officer

Jason leads and supports the technology team at SkyTruth, overseeing the design, build, and management of SkyTruth’s conservation technology program. He ensures that we use and develop impactful data and technology to scale our impact on Earth’s climate and conservation. Prior to joining SkyTruth, Jason led the Sustainability Science team at Descartes Labs, which monitors the world’s forests using remote sensing data. He also spent six years as a community organizer in Dubuque, Iowa, where he led a successful campaign to commit the city to a 50% by 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target. He holds a B.S. from Iowa State University, an M.S. in Forestry from the University of Maine, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Resources from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife and many pets.

Jenny Allen, Chief Operating Officer

Jenny leads the daily operations of SkyTruth, aligning program activity and goals with a strategic vision, as well as overseeing finance, communications, partnerships and board relations. In collaboration with John Amos, she works to ensure adequate resources for the long-term sustainability of SkyTruth’s mission. Jenny earned a B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., an M.A. from the University of Georgia, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management at Georgetown University. Appointed by then-Governor Manchin, she served for 10 years on the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Her nonprofit board experience includes the Contemporary American Theater Festival, New Dramatists, North Country School and the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation.

Jenny currently represents SkyTruth on the Global Fishing Watch board and lives in Shepherdstown with her son, Grady.

Johnna Armstrong, Systems Administrator and Web Developer

Johnna works on the SkyTruth Alerts project in project manager, tester and tech support roles. Before coming to SkyTruth, Johnna freelanced as a web and UX developer and did work for both SkyTruth and Global Fishing Watch in stealth mode for several years. Prior to freelancing, Johnna worked at the Bureau of National Affairs (now Bloomberg BNA), managing production of the company’s online tax subscriptions. She has an international MBA from The American Graduate School of International Management, and an undergraduate degree from SUNY Albany and the University of Würzburg in Germany. Outside of work, Johnna is an avid genealogist and volunteers with Historic Shepherdstown & Museum, researching house histories and maintaining its website. She is also an aspiring tai chi ninja warrior and not bad at knitting socks.

Teri Biebel, Office Administrator

Teri keeps the SkyTruth office humming on all things administrative. Teri grew up in Wildwood, along the Southern New Jersey coastline, and attended the former Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) before leaving to work in the bright lights of Atlantic City. After a long career in the casino industry, where she worked in both customer service and administration, Teri decided she wanted to work in a much more positive environment where she could help people, and she joined SkyTruth. She has been involved in many community service organizations including the Girl Scouts Council of the Nations Capital as a Girl Scout leader, Shepherdstown Rotary Satellite Club and the Jefferson High School Band Boosters.

Teri lives in Shepherdstown with her husband Don. She is an avid runner and has completed 2 Tough Mudders, 6 full marathons as well as 28 half marathons (so far).

Bjorn Bergman, Project Manager

Bjorn leads SkyTruth’s work on Project Inambari, using radar satellite imagery and machine learning to detect mining activity in the Amazon. He also works with SkyTruth’s partner Global Fishing Watch, helping the research team detect and track vessels broadcasting false locations. Before joining SkyTruth, Bjorn worked in a research lab and as a fisheries observer collecting biological data on commercial fishing boats in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. He has a degree in biology from Yale University and has traveled extensively throughout Latin America — particularly in Peru where he spent time as a child — and returns to the region frequently.

Dan Cogswell, Software Developer

At SkyTruth, Dan develops web applications and leads SkyTruth’s Alerts and Global Flaring development. He has been a software developer for 30 some years, working first in local government and then in the private sector with LEIDOS Biomedical. He has an IT degree from Shepherd College and a Data Science Certificate from Johns Hopkins University. Dan and his wife Margaret moved to Shepherdstown in 1986. Outside of work, Dan has held leadership roles with the Potomac Valley Audubon Society and several youth soccer organizations. In his free time, he enjoys birdwatching, traveling the country, and watching old movies.

Mitchelle De Leon, Director of Impact and Strategic Partnerships

Mitchelle is responsible for scaling SkyTruth’s impact on climate change mitigation and key conservation challenges and building meaningful partnerships with stakeholders. Prior to joining SkyTruth, he was a Senior Associate in the Environmental Policy and Advocacy group at CEA Consulting, where he facilitated strategic planning efforts and conducted in-depth research for leading environmental organizations for over five years on a wide range of topics, such as ecosystem resilience, sustainable agriculture, conservation technology, and climate change mitigation. He also led stakeholder engagement initiatives and supported organizational development activities to advance the historic Klamath River dam removal project.

Prior to CEA, Mitchelle served as a CivicSpark AmeriCorps Fellow in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where he supported local governments on drought response and climate change mitigation efforts. As a student, he was a volunteer youth leader for the Sierra Student Coalition supporting the youth climate movement. He holds a bachelor of science in economics from California State University, Bakersfield and is currently a Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program. Born and raised in Cebu City, Philippines, he immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 and proudly identifies as Filipino American. He currently lives in Oakland, California.

Kelly Franklin, Data Storyteller

Kelly leads SkyTruth’s internal data analysis and digital communication, telling compelling conservation stories using SkyTruth’s datasets, tools and programs. In her previous role as Interactive Graphics Editor for the journal Science, Kelly created maps, charts and interactive visualizations to illustrate complicated scientific concepts. Kelly has a Bachelors of Fine Art in Illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, as well as a Bachelors and a Masters in Biology, both from Temple University in Philadelphia. Prior to her position at Science, Kelly worked as a research assistant in the Sewall Lab at Temple University investigating White-nose syndrome in little brown bats, along with other wildlife issues. Kelly is passionate about conservation and enjoys using art to advocate for the protection of the natural world. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys many forms of outdoor recreation including mountain biking, rock climbing and gravel biking, and loves to try new restaurants wherever the adventure takes her.

Brendan Jarrell, User Support Engineer

Brendan is in charge of SkyTruth’s Internship Program and has worked on a number of projects related to Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring, oil and gas development, and machine learning. Brendan is a resident of Shepherdstown who earned his B.S. in Engineering Science from Shepherd University. Outside of work, Brendan can be found playing Ultimate Frisbee, riding his bike around Shepherdstown, or watching his beloved Red Sox.

Aemon Malone, Senior Software Engineer

Aemon is a Software Engineer at SkyTruth. His previous experience includes working as an engineer at a cybersecurity company and as a production assistant at NPR. In his spare time, Aemon enjoys hiking with his dogs and abruptly stopping his car on country roads to relocate frogs, turtles, snakes, and the occasional skunk. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia with his wife and an ever-rotating cast of furry and scaly characters.

Amber Nelson, Manager, Operations and Finance

Amber is responsible for SkyTruth’s operational effectiveness and efficiency. She supports the development, improvement, and execution of all organizational processes, including financial management, grants and contract management, HR, recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, IT, and administrative infrastructure. Prior to SkyTruth, Amber was in charge of operations and HR for the US office of Compassion in World Farming. She served as the VP of Operations and Finance at the Summit Land Conservancy, responsible for all facets of finance, operations, and fundraising. For many years before that, she had a small accounting office where she gravitated toward nonprofits.

Amber has a B.A. in History, Sociology/Anthropology, and Women’s Studies from St. Olaf College, an MBA with an Emphasis in Accounting from Grand Canyon University, and recently obtained SHRM-CP certification. Living in rural Utah, Amber likes to run, ski, kayak, hike, backpack, and do everything outdoors. When forced indoors, she reads and sews. She has a boyfriend and two dogs to keep her company on her many adventures.

Jona Raphael, Machine Learning Engineer

At SkyTruth, Jona automates large-scale image analysis using cutting-edge machine learning techniques. He is a Mechanical Engineer with a B.S. from Olin College of Engineering and an M.S. from Boston University, who ended up in San Francisco (where code is king). So, he taught himself how to program. He co-founded two hardware start-ups and was the first employee at a third — all focused on humanitarian issues and sustainable development in industries such as aquaculture and rural off-grid electrification. His experiences as a full-stack developer, PCB designer, injection molder, and client liaison serve as the foundation for his contracting business: designing bespoke state-of-the-art hardware and software systems. When not working, Jona can often be found planning his next rock climbing adventure or board game design.

Christian Thomas, Geospatial Engineer

Christian leads SkyTruth’s resource extraction monitoring work, both on land and at sea, focusing on surface mining, offshore infrastructure development, and marine pollution events. In addition to applying his background in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, he has helped to design lessons for SkyTruth’s educational outreach program. Christian is a native of Shepherdstown, West Virginia who joined the SkyTruth team after graduating from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Geography and Environmental Geoscience. When he’s not in the office, Christian enjoys travel, intricate board games, and adventuring in the great outdoors.

SkyTruth Advisor

Ian R. MacDonald, Ph.D., Cerulean Science Advisor

Ian is Emeritus Professor of Oceanography in the Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University. Dr. MacDonald is an internationally recognized authority on the biology and geology of marine oil seeps with over 100 peer-reviewed articles and over 80 reports and popular articles on related topics. He was a prominent voice for academic science during the Deepwater Horizon blowout and was one of the first to challenge the accuracy of official discharge rates in the early days of the emergency. Subsequently, he published scientific papers detailing the magnitude and distribution of surface oil and its impact on mesophotic corals for the National Resource Damage Assessment program, and the Deep-C and ECOGIG GOMRI consortia.