Joda Thongnopnua serves as Special Advisor for the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Thongnopnua joined NSF after several years of serving in leadership roles in local government, philanthropy, and local government. He currently helps lead directorate-wide efforts to deliver on the CHIPS and Science Act, with a particular focus on building intergovernmental and cross-agency partnerships to jumpstart and support America’s new frontiers of innovation that are critical to establishing U.S. leadership in key technology focus areas like quantum computing, synthetic biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Before being appointed to serve as Special Advisor for the TIP Directorate, he served as a program director for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, working as part of the team that helped launch the NSF’s inaugural portfolio of historic place-based investment programs.

Previously, Thongnopnua served as chief of staff to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. He was Mayor Kelly’s top aide and principal advisor and was chiefly responsible for implementing the mayor’s agenda and leading major policy priorities across a 2,600-person organization and $350 million annual budget. Prior government service, Thongnopnua also served in leadership roles at various Chattanooga-based non-profit, philanthropic, and private sector institutions, including the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Metro Ideas Project, and Lamp Post Group.