January 31, 2011—Mark Jones, Geologist in the Geologic Mapping and Industrial Minerals Group, recently was selected as the 2010 Employee of the Year for the ODNR Division of Geological Survey.

Mark was chosen in large part for his remarkable handling of the Coastal Erosion Area (CEA) Program last year, which recently completed rollout of the finalized coastal erosion area maps. In addition to overseeing the mapping process, Mark organized public forums; public announcements and mailing materials; meetings with land owners, public officials, and industry; and objection reviews and responses. And he did it all in a very positive, professional manner.

“The success of the CEA program is due to the work of a lot of people,” Mark says. “It was a group effort.”

“Mark has filled some very large shoes in becoming the one-man Lake Erie Section and is quickly becoming the Survey’s face on Lake Erie projects,” says Mike Angle, Mark’s supervisor. “He did an amazing job managing the many aspects of the CEA project.”

While there are a few loose ends to tie up with the CEA program, such as data analysis, Mark is now able to move on to other projects, including assisting mapping surficial materials of the Lima 30 x 60 minute quadrangle (as part of the STATEMAP program) and setting up the Lake Erie Data Center at the H. R. Collins Laboratory.

“Mark Jones has quickly become an indispensible part of our staff. It's a joy having employees like Mark, who obviously love their jobs,” says Chief Larry Wickstrom.

Currently a resident of southwestern Delaware County, Mark is originally from Cleveland. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University and his M.S. from Kent State University. While at Kent State, Mark interned with the Division of Geological Survey from 1996 to 1999, working with the (now defunct) Lake Erie Geology Group in Sandusky. He went on to work in private industry as a consultant but returned to the Survey in 2008.

Described by one fellow staff member as a great coworker and role model, Mark is very grateful to be a Survey geologist. “Every kid grows up dreaming of doing something, whether it’s being an astronaut or joining the circus,” he says. “I’m doing my dream job.”