Biography - Mariana I Leckner

Mariana Leckner teaches courses in Science as a Professor with the American Military University, and served the past three years as the Program Director for Science. She has 20 years of college teaching experience, to include a remote research facility, community college, a major state institution and online teaching.

Dr. Leckner is active professionally with a variety of organizations and with pro bono work. She is presently is a member of the, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association for American Geographers, the International Association of Emergency Managers and the American Meteorological Society. She is active with the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management, having been a founding member of that ASFPM Chapter. Dr. Leckner is also a member of the National Hydrologic Warning Council and serves on their Public Outreach Committee.

Dr. Leckner has over two decades of environmental hazard planning experience, many with a focus on emergency management to include search and rescue, non-profit employment and employment with a state Office of Emergency Management. In these capacities, she has worked with FEMA, the National Guard, and numerous other federal, state and local agencies. She was appointed to the NJ Coastal Evacuation Task Force by the New Jersey Legislature where she advises State officials on emergency planning issues. She also co-founded and chaired the NJ Special Needs Advisory Panel, produced New Jersey's weather-related hazard plans, evacuation plans and operational procedures. Dr. Leckner has developed and delivered public outreach and professional training, coordinated planning meetings and exercises, chaired numerous committees, served as liaison to Federal agencies, performed duties as an operations officer for emergency events, supervised emergency operations center staff and managed Federal grants. Dr. Leckner served in the NJ Emergency Operations Center as Operations Chief and Operations Officer for weather events and other emergencies to include the events of September 11th, the national anthrax emergency, and regularly scheduled nuclear drills.

Dr. Leckner currently owns Leckner Consulting, LLC a consulting firm providing emergency planning services for emergency management, hydrologic and atmospheric hazard assessment and planning, coastal hazard planning, evacuation planning, transportation planning, public outreach, training and education, exercise development and execution, and addressing special needs population planning issues.

Dr. Leckner has a Bachelors degree in International Relations, a minor in Latin American Studies, a Masters degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Virginia, and a Doctorate in Geography from Rutgers University, with work focusing on coastal storm hazards. She has taught at APUS since 2002.