Brian A. Zettle
Senior Biologist/Tribal Liaison
Special Programs Manager

Brian currently serves as the Lead Biologist for the TNTCX. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Clemson University and years of experience, Mr. Zettle brings a wealth of expertise to his multifaceted role, where he works closely with Tribes, engineers, and natural scientists across USACE to integrate Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) and Nature Based Solutions into ecosystem restoration and climate change resiliency projects and studies.

In his previous roles, Mr. Zettle served as the Senior Biologist for the Coastal Resiliency Program in Mobile, Alabama, where he managed the Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan for the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) Barrier Island restoration project and contributed significantly to coastal resiliency efforts. Prior to this, he was the Section Chief for the Inland Environment Team at the Mobile District, responsible for overseeing environmental compliance and ecosystem restoration initiatives, including serving as the USACE Mobile District Senior Inland Environmental Compliance manager for critical water management matters in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basins (ACF).

Throughout his career, Mr. Zettle has developed extensive knowledge and experience in Endangered Species consultation, aquatic ecosystem restoration, environmental compliance, and monitoring and adaptive management. With his dedication to conservation and his unique blend biocultural expertise and cross cultural communication skills, Mr. Zettle continues to make significant contributions to environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Brian resides in Mobile, Alabama and, in true biologist fashion, cannot get enough of the great outdoors - escaping for National Park road trips with his wife, two daughters, and two outdoor loving pups. We know any of his road trips will include an ample amount of outlaw country music, and, if he goes anywhere west, an excuse to stop along the way for those unbeatable Mississippi Delta tamales. Known for his eclectic taste, Brian embraces weird music and experiences, including the whimsical allure of pirate metal bands that transport him to far-off lands on the high seas.

Mark Gilfillan currently serves as Senior Tribal Liaison with the TNTCX. Mark holds a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Restoration and Waste Management from Colorado Mesa University in addition to a Master of Jurisprudence in Federal Indian Law from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Mark is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, with Iowa Tribal ancestry and has extensive experience working with his own Tribe as well as Tribes and agencies across the United States.

Mark started his career in 1985 with the US Department of Energy as an environmental scientist covering a wide range of contaminant migration issues. Since then, he has held various positions within the private sector and state of Kansas, focused on environmental stewardship, notably Brownfields and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliance. During his time with the Sac and Fox Nation, Mark held the position of Tribal Gaming Chairman, overseeing various responsibilities including research on Tribal reserved rights and treaty history, NAGPRA compliance, cultural history preservation, museum management, and language preservation efforts. He also delivered an extensive Economic Development Plan to the Sac and Fox Nation and completed a Sovereignty Plan for the tribe.

Within USACE, Mark has served as the Tribal Liaison with the Sacramento District in addition to Regulatory Project Manager with the South Pacific Division, bringing invaluable support to Tribes throughout the region, USACE Headquarters, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, and the wider Department of Defense through training initiatives and regulatory compliance. In addition, Mark has served as the TNTCX Tribal Liaison for the Army, focusing on reuniting students from the Carlisle Indian School with their families and Tribes.

Mark resides in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife and their four children, and is honored to have fostered two Tribal children from the Sac and Fox Nation under the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Mark's personal interests include his Tribal culture, language preservation, as well as outdoor activities such as rafting, skiing, biking, camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing.

Rocco de Gregory
TNTCX Project Manager

Rocco de Gregory serves the TNTCX in the capacity of Project Manager. Rocco holds a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeological Studies (Cum Laude) from the State University of New York at Potsdam in addition to a Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology, specializing in Bioanthropology and pre-contact archaeology, from Mississippi State University.

Rocco brings a vast array of experience in the field of archaeology, beginning his career through archaeological investigations on forts from the Seven Years and Revolutionary Wars in upstate New York. He then transitioned to working across the wider eastern United States, where he spent over a decade as a project manager, field director, and principal investigator for cultural resource management firms where he was responsible for managing and directing all phases of cultural resources projects for Tribal Nations, federal and state agencies, and private clients.

In his current capacity with the TNTCX, Rocco directs projects for military and civilian clients, with a distinct focus on supervising cultural resources components. Particularly noteworthy is Rocco's leadership in managing the nationwide Air National Guard (ANG) Tribal Consultation Program in collaboration with the ANG Readiness Center. Through this initiative, Rocco has effectively led tailored Tribal Consultation training initiatives across the ANG and facilitated meaningful Tribal consultation pertaining to NEPA, NHPA, and NAGPRA compliance. His expertise has been instrumental in projects ranging from new construction and historic property evaluations to establishing respectful overflight paths and coordinating general efforts.

Rocco lives in the greater Indianapolis Metro with his wife, 4-year-old daughter, and two dogs. He spends most of his free time cheering on the New York Jets, jumping in leaf piles with his daughter, chasing Dave Matthews Band around the country, and trying every variation of cheese he can get his hands on.

Ann W. Strange
TNTCX Geographer

Ann "Annie" Strange serves as a Geographer with the TNTCX. She holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Geography from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia and a Master's of Science in Geography with a focus on water resources and water quality from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. During her academic journey, she served as a National Science foundation GK-12 fellow, bringing STEM education to rural middle school students in East Tennessee and conducting her own research on the relationships between suspended sediments and the transportation of E. coli in rural streams. Her dedication and keen eye for detail earned her the Outstanding Fieldwork award for her research.

Annie's experience continued with the USACE Mobile District where she specialized in floodplain mapping, modeling, and analysis across several districts. Here responsibilities included managing local and regional data, reconciling geodatabases, and mapping channel data. She also played a crucial role in developing a real-time transportation map for the US Department of Transportation and introduced training initiatives for ArcGIS Online and ESRI Storymaps to regional offices. Additionally, Annie led the development of a geospatial tool and web-based map for district archaeologists to monitor water levels at sensitive cultural sites, a resource still used by the TNTCX today.

With her specializations in combining cultural and geospatial data, Annie manages the TNTCX's geospatial analysis, data management, digital mapping, and web services. She plays a crucial role in the management of data related to historic Tribal treaty and trust lands, development of project- and program-specific Storymaps, and adapting geocultural data to meet the needs of Tribal and agency partners.

Annie resides on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi with her husband, two kids, fluffy cat, and a goldendoodle that resembles a chicken nugget. Her hobbies include indulging in her daughter's Taylor Swift obsession, boating on the bayous, escaping to the mountains every chance she can, and staying active with a passion for playing tennis.