Mike Celata has held various responsibilities within BOEM and its predecessor agencies for the past 20 years. He holds a B.A. in geology and physics from Bowdoin College and attended the Boston College Master of Science Program, where he was a seismological research assistant. He began his career as a geophysicist with Exxon and was with the company from 1984 to 1988, generating prospects in the onshore MAFLA Smackover trend. During his federal service, Mike has served as principal authority to enhance the development, acquisition and implementation of geoscience and petroleum engineering software at the agency and has provided guidance and expertise for the effective use and management of geological and geophysical data. He was Chief of Resource Studies from 2005 to 2010, where he provided oversight for geological play assessments, petrophysical analysis, and G&G permitting for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic OCS. Most recently, Mike has played a key role in advancing geological and geophysical survey activity along the Atlantic coast as Deputy Director for the Gulf of Mexico Office.