NOAA Home Page - AccessNOAA (original) (raw)

National Weather Center Dedicated in Norman

The National Weather Center — a unique partnership between NOAA and University of Oklahoma’s Norman-based weather research and operations programs — has opened its new facility at a public dedication.

“The National Weather Center affords the type of collaboration between government, academia and the private sector that offers the best opportunity to advance our understanding and prediction of weather phenomena to save lives and property as well as promote economic development,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce David A. Sampson.

In addition to Sampson and OU President David Boren, ceremony speakers included NOAA chief of staff Scott Rayder, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, and Jacqueline Dubois Miller, OU meteorology master’s degree student. NWS director D.L. Johnson and NOAA Research director Richard W. Spinrad participated in the ribbon cutting.

Pam Heinselman, research meteorologist with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies explains the National Severe Storms Laboratory's phased array radar display to Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Sampson (center), NOAA Research director Richard Spinrad (second from left) and Bill Proenza, National Weather Service southern region director.

Award Ceremony Honors Employees, Team Members

Nearly one hundred NOAA employees and team members from all line offices were honored with 42 awards at the annual NOAA Administrator’s Awards, held last month in Silver Spring and hosted by workforce management director Eddie Ribas. Speaking at the awards, NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher called the ceremony “truly one of the highlights of my job.”

“It just serves to remind me how lucky I am to work with one of the most dedicated, knowledgeable and hard-working teams in the government,” he added.

Ahsha Tribble, surrounded by NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher (left) and Deputy Assistant Secretary William Brennan (right), was honored for NOAA and interagency policy development for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and representation of the United States in international climate change.

Edward A. Wolfgang, Candace Myers, Bill Holdsworth, Dorothy Carmel, Michael Boller, Mike Shatzer, Lawrence Hiemenz, Allison Elgin, Rufus Washington, Pat O'Connor, Phil Jun, and Kathleen Downs (pictured) were honored for their efforts to successfully implement the mass reclassification enhancement which automatically generates adjusting transactions throughout the Commerce Business Systems and executes NOAA’s budget, with NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher on the far left and Chief Financial Officer Maureen Wylie on the right.

**Employee and Team Member of the Month for November

Employee of the Month Jackie Conyers NOAA's National Weather Service

Team Member of the Month Doug Brackett NOAA Fisheries Service

NOAA’s Employee and Team Member of the Month for November are Jackie Conyers of NOAA’s National Weather Service, and Doug Brackett of NOAA Fisheries Service. Jackie Conyers has played a major role in the development and execution of the Weather Service's human capital strategic plan. Jackie led a team which developed a comprehensive list of workforce challenges facing NWS, which became the basis for the plan, developed in 2005. Jackie has played a major role in the execution of the plan in FY 2006. She has led varied, complex, and unique tasks to completion, and has also contributed significantly to recruitment and retention initiatives. Jackie has also supported award and recognition initiatives in several ways. She oversaw the development of incentive awards training that was provided to all federal meteorological coordinators, and oversaw development of a web portal that is the central source of federal awards information, and led efforts to expand both monetary and non-monetary award programs. Doug Brackett, the NOAA Fisheries headquarters help desk manager, carried out a task that so greatly benefited the entire agency that he has become widely recognized as the exemplary federal contractor. Within a mere 60 days, Doug planned, tested, and implemented state-of-the-art encryption of more than 80 percent of the agency's entire laptop computers, with the remainder currently scheduled for encryption as they are returned from survey cruises, international meetings, and other remote sites. Every one of NOAA Fisheries' more than 2,400 laptops required manual installation of the encryption software. Handed the challenge, Doug familiarized himself with the field of encryption in a few days, and developed a task management plan to coordinate acquisition of the most appropriate software and synchronized operations with the software vendor, the help desk staff, and NOAA Fisheries employees.

**Employee and Team Member of the Month for October

_Employee of the Month _Doug Smith NOAA Marine & Aviation Operations

_Team Member of the Month _Beth Dieveney NOAA Ocean Service

NOAA’s Employee and Team Member of the Month for October are Doug Smith of NOAA Marine & Aviation Operations, and Beth Dieveney of NOAA Ocean Service Doug Smith of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations' Marine Operations Center Atlantic was instrumental in supporting the center's "friend of the environment" activities in Norfolk, Va. The center was recently recognized as a Model Level "River Star" by the Elizabeth River Project (ERP) for the marine center's efforts to improve the condition of the Elizabeth River through habitat restoration, pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and waste management. Doug was a charter member of the group of marine center employees who met every other week, beginning in June 2005, and worked with great passion to have the center qualify as a River Star. Doug did a tremendous amount of research on the Internet and telephone, meeting with ERP volunteers, other River Stars, and contractors to accomplish the many things the center did in such a short time. Doug's efforts have improved the Elizabeth River watershed shed very positive light on the marine center. Beth Dieveney is a program analyst in the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and serves as executive secretariat for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which is co-chaired by NOAA and the Department of the Interior. During the past year, Beth has played a key role in development and implementation of Task Force policies, meetings, and communications, and provided outstanding staff support to the NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary in his role as Task Force co-chair. Beth has planned and implemented two of the most successful meetings in Task Force history, resulting in effective participation by local, regional, national, and international leaders and stakeholders, and adoption of significant new Task Force actions to conserve coral reefs. Beth has also been instrumental in improving Task Force communications to foster inter-agency partnerships for coral reef conservation.

**NOAA’s Employee and Team Member of the Month for September

Employee of the Month Joseph McCabe Office of General Counsel

Team Member of the Month Wei Guo NESDIS

NOAA’s Employee and Team Member of the Month for September are Joseph McCabe from the Office of General Counsel, and Wei Guo from NOAA Satellites and Information Service. Joseph McCabe has provided critical and timely guidance to the Alaska Marine Ecosystem Forum, an important interagency forum under the President's Ocean Action Plan for improving coordination of activities affecting the nation's marine ecosystem off Alaska. In recognition of his exceptional paralegal skills and communication abilities, the NOAA Alaska Regional Counsel assigned him to participate in interagency discussions directed toward the Forum's formation. His initiative and exceptional paralegal skills will allow NOAA to establish this important regional ecosystem Forum in support of the President's Ocean Action Plan. Joe's timely advice, problem-solving initiative and professional demeanor have been greatly appreciated by the participating agencies and the Council and have reflected well on NOAA and on NOAA's mission in the Alaska Region. Wei Guo, a systems developer with the NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research, has been instrumental to the development, improvement, and implementation of satellite-based estimates of land surface characteristics and the products derived from them. These products are critical to NOAA's Environmental Monitoring Center and Climate Prediction Center for weather and climate forecasts and for monitoring global drought and vegetation conditions. Wei also played a lead role in the development and enhancement of the current operational version of the Global Vegetation Index and a new vegetation index climate data set, the most comprehensive vegetation data set in the world, with the longest period of observations—26 years—and the highest spatial and temporal resolutions.

Officials from the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, along with other state and local partners, opened a new viewing pier at Dauphin Island, Alabama’s Alonzo Landing, a narrow piece of land formerly littered with abandoned boats, last month. The project partners, which included local Boy Scout volunteers, all contributed money or man-hours toward the Alonzo Landing habitat. The restoration included removal of beached boats, the installation of erosion control devices and native grasses intended to expand the bird habitat, and the construction of a viewing walkway for birdwatchers.

“The people of Dauphin Island are incredibly grateful to be the beneficiaries of this project,” said Jeff Collier, the town’s mayor. “Every year, people who come here as visitors are more interested in seeing the natural side of our beautiful island. This habitat restoration is good for the environment, good for tourism and good for the people of Dauphin Island.”

Dauphin Island mayor Jeff Collier prepares to cut a ribbon on the new Alonzo Landing pier in Dauphin Island near the ferry landing. He is joined by Firestone Complete Auto Care district manager Paul Brown, left, Firestone retail environmental manager John Sheerin, Dauphin Island town councilwoman Carolyn Wood, councilman Mike Tafra, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium director LaDon Swann, Councilman Clinton Collier and Natural Resource planner Carl Ferraro of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ State Lands Division.

Amy V. Uhrin, a research ecologist with NOAA's Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research in Beaufort N.C., participated last month in the 18th annual Sea Gull Century, a 100 mile bike ride through Maryland's Eastern Shore sponsored by Salisbury University. Amy and her riding buddy, Bill Ketner of the National Institutes of Health, battled steady rains and gusting winds (over 20 mph) to complete the course in 6 hours and 42 minutes.

Amy Uhrin and Bill Ketner stand under the Sea Gull Century finish line having just completed the 100 mile ride.

The Combined Federal Campaign at NOAA has been launched! On October 31, NOAA kicked off the 2006 campaign, which concludes on December 15, 2006. At the National Capital Area kickoff event held in the Silver Spring auditorium, NOAA executives and employees were treated to an honor guard parade of the flag by the Springbrook High School ROTC of Silver Spring, Md., the National Anthem sung by NOAA’s own Megan Forbes, a presentation by a local charity, Anacostia Watershed Society, and a speech by Dr. Sharon Hays, associate director for science with White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Many volunteers assisted with the kickoff and the charity fair, which showcased over 20 CFC charities. NOAA offices are now organizing group fund raisers such as bake sales and an ice cream social to assist in collections for charities. Your CFC Catalogs of Caring and fall 2006 pledge cards should have been or will be delivered to you shortly. If you have any questions or need additional pledge cards, please contact your office’s representative.

NOAA CFC Kickoff Event on October 31, 2006.