Leadership Team
Learn more about the expertise and technical skills of the water research team and staff at NREL.
Daniel Laird
Center Director I - Technical
Dr. Daniel Laird is the director of the National Wind Technology Center. Laird also serves as an executive committee member of the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmosphere to Electrons Wind Plant Optimization Initiative and provides leadership in the focus areas of high-fidelity modeling, wind power plant controls, and rotor dynamics.
Albert LiVecchi
Laboratory Program Manager - Water Power
Al LiVecchi helped establish NREL's Water Power Program and built the technical team that focuses on marine and hydrokinetic technologies. He is responsible for planning and executing NREL's portfolio of U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored marine and hydrokinetic and hydropower projects along with having primary responsibility for establishing productive partnerships with external organizations.
Elise DeGeorge
GROUP MANAGER III - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Elise is a manager for the Water Power Group at NREL's Flatirons Campus, which includes both marine energy and hydropower. She also serves as a project leader on wind and water power workforce development projects, wind wildlife projects, as well as hydropower projects.
Jordan Macknick
RESEARCHER V - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Jordan Macknick is the lead energy-water-land analyst for NREL. His primary work addresses the environmental impacts of energy technologies while seeking opportunities for energy and ecological synergies.
Robert Thresher
RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr. Thresher has more than 40 years of research, development, engineering, and management experience in wind technology, plant engineering, and aerospace systems.
Jochem Weber
Chief Engineer
Dr. Jochem Weber is the chief engineer of NREL's Water Power Program, where he pursues a holistic deductive system approach to problem solving in research, science, engineering, technology, innovation, and management. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering (design) and physical engineering (fluid and system dynamics), and a Ph.D. in modeling and optimization of wave energy converters.