Chair, Elizabeth Neipert
Elizabeth Neipert chairs the AKN Steering Committee, the primary decision- making body for the AKN, committed to fostering the international collaboration of diverse institutions and agencies with goals to improve the conservation of birds and their habitats utilizing scientific data and cooperative partnerships. She also represents DoD and leads the federal agency partnership, coordinating plans and actions with the over 100 AKN partner organizations.
Ms. Neipert is also the Director of DoD’s Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) Program where she leads the interagency partnership to address all DoD avian data needs. She coordinates DoD’s use of the AKN with the Office of Secretary of Defense, the Military Services, installations, cooperators, and partners to create an organized, strategic, and comprehensive approach that directly supports the DoD Bird Conservation Strategic Plan and supports DoD’s military missions.
Ms. Neipert serves the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory in the Ecological Resources Branch as a Research Wildlife Biologist stationed in Interior Alaska, where she conducts wildlife research and monitoring projects on DoD lands nationwide. Previously, Elizabeth served as President of the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association from 2016-2018 and co-founded NMFWA’s Bird Conservation Working Group in 2015.