NWS Corporate Board Meets February 25 - 28

NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy Ret., and Deputy Commerce Secretary Samuel W. Bodman will meet with the NWS Corporate Board next week during the Board's quarterly meeting in Silver Spring, MD.

"Highlights of the Board's agenda include discussions of the FY 2002, 2003 and 2004 budgets; issues that support achieving strategic plan goals; benefits and expectations for IFPS [Interactive Forecast Preparation System]; service performance measures; future science and technology initiatives; the President's management agenda; and diversity," said Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer Ted David, who is chairing this Board meeting.

The NWS Corporate Board is comprised of the NWS Director and Deputy Director as well as Senior Executive Service-level Regional and Office Directors, the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer and the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy. The group's functions are similar to those of a board of directors in a corporation. "The Corporate Board reviews issues and makes decisions that chart the course for the National Weather Service," said David. "While Corporate Board members represent various offices and regions, collectively this group votes on what it believes is best for the National Weather Service."

While in town for the Corporate Board meeting, the NWS Regional Directors will meet informally Monday evening with state emergency management officials attending a National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) meeting in Washington, D.C. "Emergency Managers are critical to helping keep our communities safe," said David, "We're pleased that the timing of our meeting coincides with the NEMA meeting so our Regional Directors can attend."

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Commissioning of Last Automated Surface Observing System Marked by Ceremony

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hosted a ceremony on February 19, 2002, at FAA Headquarters to celebrate the commissioning of the final station (New Haven, CT) in the network of almost 1,000 Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) nationwide. NWS Deputy Director John Jones represented the Department of Commerce at the event held at FAA headquarters in Washington, DC.

The ASOS program "signifies the strength of government partnerships at all levels including Department Headquarters, Regional and Field Offices and the good that can be accomplished on behalf of the American public," said Jones. "The deployment of ASOS fulfills a commitment the Government made over a decade ago to provide the nation a highly cost-effective, capable and reliable automated weather observing system for safe, efficient aviation operations and other applications."

The wealth of high-quality ASOS data now available to users "offers exciting opportunities for meeting future needs in the areas of aviation, hydrology, climatology, and environmental protection," Jones said.

At the conclusion of his remarks Jones presented a plaque from the NWS to the FAA in recognition of the partnership forged between the two agencies during the effort to field the ASOS network. Jones in turn accepted for the NWS a commemorative plaque from the FAA.

The ASOS systems serve as the Nation's primary surface weather observing network, working non-stop, updating observations every minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The ASOS network has more than doubled the number of full-time surface weather observing locations. ASOS is a tri-agency system operated by the Department of Commerce (NWS - 313 ASOS sites), Department of Transportation (FAA - 569 ASOS sites), and Department of Defense (Air Force and Navy - 109 ASOS sites).

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On January 30 and 31, 2002, the staff of the NWS International Activities Office received two days of cross-cultural training, given by Maggie Newman of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Graduate School. For this course, the International Activities Office worked with Newman prior to the training to identify typical cross-cultural scenarios the staff had encountered during their many years working with the World Meteorological Organization and negotiating NWS bilateral agreements.

"We enter into negotiations almost from the first meeting when dealing between cultures," said Newman. "It's important to realize that communications in any culture have been estimated to be 7 percent verbal, 55 percent non-verbal, and 38 percent tonal." Newman also stressed the need for Americans to recognize other cultures do not operate the same as ours. An almost universal requirement, outside the United States, for example, is that face-to-face discussions take place to accomplish goals. But, just as in the U.S., different personality types exist in other cultures. There are significant differences among individuals even within a single culture, particularly generational differences.

Newman presented several approaches to handling different negotiation situations. She said to be careful during international travel of being HALT (too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired) and to be careful not to let personal issues cloud judgment. "In general, we should always listen five times more often than we talk," said Newman. The class included multi-media presentations, exercises on listening techniques, and role playing.

"In our line of work, it's essential to understand how to appropriately handle conflict caused by cultural differences," said Jon Parein of International Activities. "The workshop really made me more aware of how often cultural factors can lead to miscommunication."

Newman developed her cross-cultural training material, mainly based on cultures typical in the United States, by working for many years with police departments and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. For further information, Newman recommends two books, "Do's and Taboos Around the World," edited by Roger E. Axtell, and "Verbal Judo: the Gentle Art of Persuasion," by George Thompson and Jerry Jenkins. These books were provided to all participants.

For more information on the NWS International Activities Office, visit their home page.

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The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $1,813,387 from its Weather Radio Transmitter Grant Program to extend the coverage of NOAA Weather Radio in rural America. These 24 grants, covering 32 sites in 13 states, were awarded to three electric cooperatives, three telecommunications cooperatives, and 17 local and state governments.

A list of the approved grant applications is available on the web at the following USDA web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/initiatives/noaa/weatherradio.htm. RUS will update this list as additional grants are approved.

Applications for grants will be accepted until grants totaling $5 million in appropriations have been made. Further information regarding the grant program may be found by following the link above or by calling or e-mailing Craig R. Wulf, RUS Telecommunications Program Advisor, on 202-720-8427, e-mail cwulf@rus.usda.gov.

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New Director Selected for International Tsunami Information Center

The National Weather Service named Laura Kong as the new director of the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), replacing Michael Blackford who retired on February 1, 2002.

"Dr. Kong's appointment recognizes a unique combination of scientific and communication skills," said Jim Weyman, Acting Director of the National Weather Service Pacific Region. "Her extensive research in marine geophysics and seismology and her experience as an expert tsunami advisor for Hawaii State Civil Defense will enhance the operations of the ITIC."

Kong held previous positions with the University of Tokyo Earthquake Research Institute, the USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory, the University of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, and the Richard H. Hagemeyer Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).

The ITIC was formed under the auspices of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission after a 1960 earthquake in Chile caused a tsunami that swept across the Pacific bringing death and destruction to many points, especially Hawaii and Japan. Its purpose is to help extend the services of the U.S. tsunami warning system to the international community in the Pacific Basin and beyond. Based in Honolulu, ITIC is operated by NOAA's Weather Service.

To learn more about the International Tsunami Information Center, go to http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pr/hq/itic.htm.

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WFO Moving to Collocated Quarters with University Meteorological Department

The Tallahassee Weather Forecast Office (WFO) is moving into a new location with the Florida State University Department of Meteorology. The WFO will share the same floor with the Meteorology Department. The twice-daily weather balloon launches will be made from the building's rooftop. According to Science Operations Officer Irv Watson, "This move is unique because of the synergy that will be captured by being on the same floor and in the same building as the Meteorology Department. Our new quarters allow easy access to students and enrich the research opportunities between the university and the NWS." Construction of the four-story west wing of the Math/Meteorology Love Building began during the summer of 2000, and was completed in December 2001. The WFO is currently located at the Tallahassee Regional Airport. The WFO move is scheduled to begin on February 25.

Details about the relationship between the NWS and Florida State are available at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/TLH/tlh/new_facility.html and http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ftproot/ssd/html/citm.htm.

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Forecast Office Participates in African American History Parade

The African American History Parade in Shreveport, LA, draws several hundred participants and thousands more spectators each year. This year's parade was held on February 3, 2002, and the Shreveport Weather Forecast Office (WFO) sponsored a vehicle in the parade. WFO staffers walked along the parade route and handed out NWS literature and candy. According to Lee Harrison, Meteorologist in Charge, Shreveport WFO, "We participate in this event because it gives us an opportunity to pay homage to the contributions of African Americans and educate the community about the National Weather Service. This year we received recognition from the parade committee for our continuing participation, commitment, and outreach efforts to the African American community."

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