Ann Lesperance, Director

Regional Programs
Northwest Regional Technology Center for Homeland Security
Phone: (206) 528-3223
Email: Ann.lesperance@pnnl.gov

Ann Lesperance has been with the PNNL since 1990. In her current capacity she is the director of the NWRTC located in Seattle, Washington. Her primary focus is developing regional programs to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of new Homeland Security technologies. To accomplish this, Lesperance works with state and local emergency responders and public safety officials to understand and help prioritize their operational needs and requirements. She also builds regional coalitions of emergency management professionals to partner with DHS S&T, the Department of Defense, federal agencies, and manages program implementation in the field.

Lesperance has a joint appointment to Northeastern University-Seattle and leads efforts to build the master’s program in Security and Resilience Studies and Urban Informatics. She was also awarded a Faculty Affiliate appointment with Northeastern’s Global Resilience Institute. In this role, she partners with the institute to identify and participate in interdisciplinary proposal efforts for new research and education collaborations.

Lesperance has over thirty years of experience as a researcher and project manager in domestic and international fields, including environmental and public health analysis, and disaster management and recovery from natural and man-made events. She is a recognized leader in response, recovery, and resiliency issues. She was selected to serve on a National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Steering Committee exploring a "whole of government" approach to international chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear events. In addition, she served on National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine Resilient American Roundtable, overseeing the work of the Program on Risk, Resilience, and Extreme Events.

Additionally, Lesperance has played key leadership roles in engaging the energy and public safety sectors on issues related to cybersecurity and resiliency. She championed efforts to develop an open-source information-sharing platform to enhance response and recovery from cyberattacks and supported a first-of-a-kind effort in Washington State to develop a cyber-attack emergency response annex.

• Bachelor of Arts, University of Wisconsin, Environmental Science and Latin American Studies
• Master of Science, University of California Los Angeles, Public Health, School of Public Health, Environmental Science and Engineering Program

Ryan Eddy, Deputy Director

Senior Policy Advisor
Phone: (509) 372-6622
Email: ryan.eddy@pnnl.gov

Ryan R. Eddy joined PNNL in 2009 and serves as the director for Homeland Security Programs in PNNL’s National Security Directorate. He oversees the work PNNL performs for DHS that encompasses nearly fifty diverse projects and almost $80M worth of annual business. Eddy manages a team that engages with a multitude of components across DHS, including the areas of explosives detection, nuclear security, and cyber security. Drawing on several years of experience in Washington, DC, Mr. Eddy oversees program development strategies for DHS sponsors to ensure PNNL is delivering mission relevant work. DHS sponsors at PNNL include. the Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, S&T Directorate, Customs and Border Protection, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, among others. Additionally, as the deputy director of the NWRTC, he supports regional preparedness, response, and recovery by enabling homeland security solutions for emergency responder communities and federal, state, and local stakeholders in the Northwest. Eddy also serves on various boards and councils for his insights on national security and regionally based topics, including the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition and the Washington Military Alliance.

Prior to his time at PNNL, Eddy served as the senior policy advisor to the presidentially appointed director at the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office within DHS, and as the confidential assistant to the director for the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President.

•  Bachelor of Science, Arizona State University, Political Science

Rob Jasper, Manager, Deputy Director

Manager
Phone: (509) 371-6430
Email: robert.jasper@pnnl.gov

Rob Jasper is a manager in PNNL's National Security Directorate, a chief scientist of the Analysis in Motion streaming analytics initiative, and lead for the Innovation District Strategy.

Before joining PNNL, Jasper served as vice president of Data Sciences at the compensation analytics provider PayScale. There he developed search, analytics, and statistical models and managed data sciences and IT operations. Prior to PayScale, Jasper was chief technology officer at Intelligent Results, where he developed the first SaaS-based machine learning and analytics platform. Intelligent Results was profitably sold to the Fortune 250 financial transactions provider, First Data, in 2007. At First Data, Jasper was vice president of Information Services and chief technology officer of the Analytics Center of Excellence where he oversaw the design, development, and support of over twenty products in the areas of fraud, analytics, and data solutions.

Additionally, Jasper has served as chief scientist at Fizzylab, was an adjunct professor of Software Engineering at Seattle University, and was a research manager at Boeing Research and Technology. Jasper was owner of Octave Labs, LLC, an independent analytics consulting firm to Ignition Partners, Vulcan, and Clearsight Systems. He is an advisory board member for the University of Washington's Certificate Program in Big Data Technologies and Master of Software Engineering Program advisory board at Seattle University. Jasper received his Master of Software Engineering from Seattle University.

•  Master of Software Engineering, Seattle University