President Officially Nominates NOAA Administrator Designee

On October 16, 2001, President Bush submitted to the U.S. Senate his nomination of Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere/NOAA Administrator. Lautenbacher is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education. A member of the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 2000, Lautenbacher served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations from 1997 to 2000, Director of the Office of Program Appraisal from 1996 to 1997, and Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet from 1994 to 1996. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and received both a Master's degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Confirmation hearings for this nomination have not yet been scheduled by the Senate.

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NWS Director Praises Warning Event Simulator (WES) Project

NWS Director Jack Kelly says that a new severe weather warning training tool recently distributed to field offices demonstrates how "effective teamwork among staff at the local, regional, and national levels can yield significant results."

In late August 2001, the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services' (OCWWS) Training Division distributed WES software to all NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs). The software simulates the environment for significant weather cases in displaced-real-time.

"The Warning Event Simulator [WES] serves a critical training need for improving forecast and warning skills," said Greg Mandt, Director of OCWWS. Mandt said WES is designed to run on LINUX PCs. The WES software is packaged with an initial case study, and includes capabilities to locally archive AWIPS data.

The Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB) led the software development and refining of the case simulations. NWS staff and the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET), in conjunction with Unidata, has led the effort to distribute case study data for significant weather events. WFO Spokane, WA, developed the software to archive cases locally on station, and WFO Norman, OK, and Southern Region Headquarters staff provided much initial support and an operational testing facility.

The next step is to make the WES into a true Weather Event Simulator by expanding its capabilities to include additional data sets and functionality.

"I thank all who contributed to the success of the Warning Event Simulator project. The WES is especially suited for training in the severe weather warning environment and represents an important step in the improvement of our training capability," Kelly said.

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John Jones, NWS Deputy Director, spent half of the workday in a wheelchair on October 16, 2001, and gained first-hand experience of some of the challenges that come with a disability. As part of October's Disability Employment Awareness month, the NOAA Office of Civil Rights asked NOAA senior managers to spend time as a person with a disability. The goal of the exercise was to provide an opportunity to understand some of the issues people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Jones chose to perform his normal daily routine while using a wheelchair, and spent about four and a half hours in the chair while managing a full work schedule. Patricia Taylor, from the NWS Equal Employment Opportunity Office, shadowed and discussed the experience with the Deputy Director. "It was interesting to see how people reacted when they saw me in a wheelchair," said Jones. "By the end of the day I had pretty sore knees," Jones said, "and I learned that many table tops are not raised high enough to allow your knees to fit underneath, so I was stretching at times to use the table." Click here for a photograph of Jones.

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The National Academy of Sciences Committee on Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services meets November 5-6, 2001, at the Holiday Inn, 2101 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC. This committee is conducting a study, funded by the NWS to examine the roles of the public, private, and academic sectors in providing weather and climate services, and to identify opportunities for and barriers to improving such services.

A public session is on the agenda for the first day from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Topics for the public session include: resolving conflicts arising from privatizing data; NWS technological issues (IT architecture, and a case study of radar data); vision of global weather services in 2025; and remarks from two specialized user communities (weather risk management and aviation).

The committee's web site at http://www.nationalacademies.org/partnerships solicits comments from interested parties and provides copies of information and feedback.

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Storm Prediction Center Scientist Earns Research Award From National Weather Association

Robert H. Johns, the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, OK, received the T. Theodore Fujita Research Achievement Award during the recent National Weather Association (NWA) annual meeting in Spokane, WA. The Fujita award is presented to a NWA member whose research has made a significant contribution to operational meteorology.

Johns was recognized by the NWA for his research in four areas: 1) northwest flow severe weather outbreaks, 2) the climatology and prediction of widespread convectively-induced damaging wind episodes known as "derechos," 3) the synoptic scale and mesoscale environments associated with long-lived bow echoes, and 4) the environmental conditions associated with strong and violent tornadoes.

"Bob Johns has been remarkably effective in sharing his scientific insights, knowledge, and research findings with colleagues in the meteorological forecasting, research, and academic communities over the past quarter century," said SPC Director Joseph Schaefer. "Over the last 20 years, he has served as a respected mentor for numerous young forecasters and meteorology students during the early part of their careers, has helped guide the applied research projects of many of his SPC colleagues, and is a highly sought after teacher and educator in the field of severe weather forecasting techniques."

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Updated Hurricane Brochure Now Available

The popular brochure Hurricanes...Unleashing Nature's Fury has just been revised and expanded from 12 pages to 16 pages. The new edition includes, for the first time, an Atlantic Hurricane Tracking Chart, a Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and a list of inland/freshwater flooding impacts. In addition, the hurricane safety rules were updated. The brochure is a joint effort of NOAA/NWS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the American Red Cross.

The new hurricane brochure as well as the following recently reprinted materials are now in stock at the National Logistics Supply Center (NLSC) in Kansas City, MO. The maximum number of brochures that can be ordered is 300 copies each of the severe weather publications and 100 copies each of the field guides. NLSC can be reached by phone at (816) 926-3990, and by fax at (816) 926-7901.

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NWS Budget Formulator to Speak on Linking Performance and Budgeting

On November 2, 2001, Steve Gallagher, Director of Budget Formulation for the NWS, will speak at the Fall Symposium for the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis (AABPA). Gallagher is one of three speakers scheduled to discuss implementation of Performance Based Budgeting in the Federal Government. Gallagher will outline the NWS effort to link performance measures and budget planning, providing agency-level perspective on this critical issue. Performance based budgeting is one of President Bush's key management initiatives. Robert Reischauer, President of the Urban Institute, and Rep. John W. Spratt, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee are scheduled to provide the keynote speeches at the symposium. The AABPA conducts a Fall and Spring Symposium each year focusing on federal budget and financial issues. Representatives from the Administration, Congress, and the private sector are typically invited as keynote speakers.

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USDA Updates NWR Grant Information in Federal Register Notice

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Rural Utility Service (RUS) continues to accept applications from communities eligible to participate in the NOAA Weather Radio transmitter grant program. A Federal Register notice published October 16, 2001, updates the listing of eligible sites, clarifies how applicants may should determine the eligible grant amount, and emphasizes the importance of consulting and coordinating with the National Weather Service prior to submitting grant proposals to RUS. Craig Wulf of the RUS continues to encourage grant seekers to apply. USDA will carry over the remaining grant money until the $5 million appropriation is spent. The grant program will provide funds, on an expedited basis, for use in rural areas and communities of 50,000 or less. Grant funds are available immediately and applications will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis until the appropriation is completely exhausted. If you have questions concerning this program, call Craig Wulf, USDA, at 202-720-8427 or Orren E. Cameron, USDA, at 202-690-4493. Details of the grant program are posted in the Federal Register.

The following address links you to the Federal Register via GPO Access: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html

Scroll down to "issue date" and enter "10/16/2001" where it asks for a specific date, rather than a range. Enter "weather radio" as the search term, click on submit, and three documents should show, the first being the notice for the Weather Radio Transmitter Grant Program.

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Retired NWS Employee Inducted into Great Lakes Maritime Hall of Fame

A retired NWS employee was honored recently for his contributions to the Great Lakes maritime community by being inducted into the Great Lakes Maritime Hall of Fame. Bill Kennedy is the only person outside of the marine community ever inducted into the Great Lakes Maritime Hall of Fame, which typically honors captains, mates, and engineers on ships.

Kennedy spent 30 years of his 42-year career in Cleveland, OH, as a Port Meteorological Officer. Hired in 1953, he was primarily responsible for setting up a Marine Weather Program on the Great Lakes, in addition to writing for the Mariner's Weather Log and designing special maps for each lake so ships could easily report their locations.

In fact, some of the inductees worked on vessels navigating the Great Lakes during Kennedy's tenure in Cleveland. "After being retired for 18 years, I'm so honored that they still think of me," he said of his recent award. "It is not every day that a NWS employee receives such an honor." According to Bob McLeod, Awareness Branch Chief, Office of Climate, Weather and Water Services, who worked with Kennedy in Cleveland, "Bill's knowledge of the Great Lakes and commitment to the NWS are well known, and this award is well deserved. I have known Bill for many years and he did some good work up there on the Lakes."

Although Kennedy has been recognized many times for his numerous contributions to the field of meteorology - he was bestowed a Honorary Lifetime Membership in the International Ship Masters Association and received a bronze medal for developing a Marine Program on the Great Lakes - he says this Hall of Fame induction is his greatest honor.

These days Kennedy is well known in his Venice, FL, community as the "Venice Gondolier Staff Meteorologist" because of his many weather-related contributions to the local paper. He even has his own weather station and takes observations for the paper. "After being a weatherman for 61 years, I'm still very much involved," he said.

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Calling All Photographers....Your Pics Needed!

The Communications Office is looking for high quality, uncluttered shots that highlight the important jobs we carry out on a daily basis. Of special interest, are photos that show staff working with partners or customers. These photos will become part of an NWS photo library and may be used in future exhibits, publications and web sites. The best photos will be candid shots, with subjects involved in some action but not looking into the camera lens. It's OK if the action is simply a conversation between an employee and customer about an important topic, but we can't use pictures of handshakes or group photos.

A good photo should tell a story and need almost no explanation, but nevertheless, each photo should have a caption which identifies the people in the photo (full name, job title, office where they work, location of photo, what action is happening in the photo). Photos need to be of sufficient quality to be enlarged and printed in a publication, so we need either, color positive 35mm slide film, 4 x 6 color prints from 35mm film, or, as a last resort .TIFF high-resolution images equalling an image size of 8" x 11" and minimum resolution of 300 dots per inch. A single .TIFF file could be as large as 12 to 18 megabytes, so please contact us first and we can arrange for delivery on a zip disk.

The list below summarizes the type of candid shots we need. To submit your photos, please contact NWS.Focus@noaa.gov.

ACTION PHOTOS OF NWS STAFF NEEDED

• WCM and Emergency Manager(s) meeting/touring/ "in action" - better if EM is wearing a uniform, hat or jacket identifying his/her county or organization
• Staff member(s) giving safety presentation
• Staff member(s) doing Skywarn Spotter or Cooperative observer training
• WFO staff performing duties during severe weather
• NWS staff working at a community event off-site
• NWS staff doing damage assessments
• NWS staff working with kids
• NWS staff meeting with TV meteorologists or private sector meteorologists
• Pictures of staff training classes
• NWS staff measuring snow depth
• CWSU staff at work
• Pictures of staff working at all NWS Centers
• Pictures taken during Hurricane Tour

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Also on the Web...

NOAA's new Employee Worklife Center (designed to help every NOAA employee juggle their worklife responsibilities) now has an online newsletter entitled "Navigations." The Employee Worklife Center, which opened at the end of June in Silver Spring, MD, is designed to offer one-stop service in response to the needs employees who seek to achieve home/work balance. The Worklife Center offers services by phone (1-866-662-2952), on-line, or in person. More information on the Worklife Center can be found at: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~Diversity/employeeworklifecenter/. A copy of their most recent newsletter "Navigations" can be found at: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~Diversity/employeeworklifecenter/3navigations.PDF.

In the wake of recent terrorist events, the NOAA Human Resources Website offers tools for coping with traumatic events for managers and employees. For a copy of "The Manager's Guide to Handling Traumatic Events," visit http://www.opm.gov/ehs/traugdpg.htm, and for overall post-disaster guidance, a wealth of resources are available at: http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~hrmo/disaster.htm.

offices.

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