Michael H. Tupper

Mr. Tupper provides leadership for the activities being conducted at twelve USGS centers and the USGS Chesapeake Bay Program. Of them, six are Water science centers, one Ecological Science Center, one Geoscience Center, one Coastal and Marine Science Center, two Energy and Mineral Science Centers and one Science and Decision Science Center located in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. 

Mr. Tupper started his career as a General Schedule (GS) 2 on the fire crew in Las Vegas, NV, while going to school for geological engineering with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). He has held almost every position in the BLM's fire program including being a smokejumper in Fairbanks, AL, and Boise, ID. He finished his fire career as the Senior Fire Advisor in Washington, D.C. After serving in the role of Deputy Division Chief for Decision Support Planning and National Environmental Policy Act, Mr. Tupper took on an assignment leading the BLM's second-largest minerals program as Deputy State Director for Minerals in the New Mexico State Office and then as Deputy State Director for Land and Resources. In March 2015, he accepted a position as the Deputy Assistant Director for Resources and Planning. He served on a 120-day detail as the Acting USGS Regional Director for the Northwest Region as part of the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program.  

Mr. Tupper started with the USGS Northeast Region as the Regional Director in 2016. His leadership has fostered an environment of collaboration and comradery with the centers, region, and customer agencies.