Mary C. Erickson is the deputy director of the National Weather Service, a role she has filled since January 2017. Her primary responsibilities include leading the agency’s major change initiatives, ensuring accurate and timely service delivery to key stakeholders, supporting management-labor relations, and building important relationships with America’s Weather Industry. She also champions water and inundation programs and directs efforts to improve employee engagement throughout the organization that supports a culture where belonging, inclusion and diversity can thrive.

Ms. Erickson has served in various roles across NOAA for more than 30 years. In her most recent position as the director of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science -- an office in NOAA’s National Ocean Service -- she ensured the timely and effective transition of ecosystem science solutions from research and development to operations and applications. Prior to that, she served as chief of NOAA’s Coast Survey Development Laboratory, where she and her team developed ocean technology to support safe and efficient navigation and sustainable, healthy coasts.

Ms. Erickson began her federal career at the National Weather Service, having worked as a research meteorologist for more than 20 years in the Office of Science and Technology. Her early work and publications centered on statistical techniques and model post processing within the Meteorological Development Laboratory. Later, she managed a wide portfolio of science projects, serving as deputy of the cross-NOAA strategic goal team for weather and water.

Ms. Erickson earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology from Pennsylvania State University (1983) and an M.S. degree in Operations Research and Statistics from George Mason University (1990). An avid reader and continual learner, she enjoys serving as a professional mentor to benefit future science leaders. Ms. Erickson is a native of Whitesboro, NY, but she has called Brandywine, MD home for the last 30 years.

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