Chris Hill, Meteorologist in Charge of WFO Seattle, WA, will be retiring on January 3, 2006, after a distinguished 35-year career in the National Weather Service.

Chris began his career in 1970 as a summer trainee at WSFO Portland, OR and is a charter member of NOAA. Chris spent a year in Portland as a met intern after graduating from Oregon State University. He transferred to WFO Reno, Nevada in 1972, and held positions such as aviation forecaster, lead forecaster, and AFOS focal point. In 1980, he moved to WSFO Boise as Operations Meteorologist (the original SOO positions). Then, in 1989, he transferred to WFH as the Deputy Chief of SSD. In 1991, Chris moved to WSFO Seattle as the Area Manager for Washington. Then, in the mid-90s, he became the MIC at WFO Seattle.

Chris has had many accomplishments throughout his career in the NWS. He has published several NWS Western Region Technical Attachments, NWS Western Region Technical Memorandums, and articles in AMS publications on such subjects as the use of signal detection theory in verification, lighting climatology, and the effects of terrain on thunderstorms. He developed the first method for IMETS to receive meteorological information over phone lines. He served on the AMS board on Government Meteorologists in the late 1980s, including chairing for one year, and also served as an NWA Councilor in the early 1990s. He has been a member of several NWS national teams, including the CWSU team and the Distributed Modeling team.

We will miss Chris, his leadership, his insight, and his many contributions to NOAA.

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In September, 1987, Dan went to work for Alan Rezek as the Deputy Meteorologist in Charge at WSFO Charleston, West Virginia. Then in September, 1994, Dan became the first and only MIC at WFO Grand Rapids and guided that office through the spin-up process into the modernization era. Dan has been a creative MIC and led his office in many innovative initiatives.

Dan and Joyce will continue to reside in Grand Rapids. Their children Jon and Jenna live in the Grand Rapids area and so does grandson Jake. I know I speak for the entire National Weather Service family in wishing Dan the best in retirement.

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Bill is a member of that "Big Chill' generation.high school class of 1965. He completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Washington State University in June, 1969 and immediately entered the U.S. Air Force. After serving on active duty for five years he was hired by the NWS as an intern at the Weather Office in Lubbock, TX. Bill was selected for a university assignment at the University of Wisconsin from September 1976 through December 1977 and earned his Master's degree in Meteorology. In May, 1978 Bill was selected as a Lead Forecaster at WSFO Cheyenne and then in June 1980 took his first MIC position at Walla Walla, WA and about a year later transferred to the Salem, OR Fire Weather Office as that office's MIC. From June 1982 through May 1985, Bill became a "regional weenie" as the Special Services Meteorologist in the Meteorological Services Division, Weather Region Headquarters. His primary responsibility was the Fire Weather program.

In May of 1985 Bill was selected to lead the WSFO at Cheyenne, WY. Bill led the Cheyenne office through the modernization in the 1990s with a unique ability to focus on both his staff and the customers during this time of extraordinary organizational change.

Bill's dedication to the country through his time in the Air Force did not end when he entered the NWS. Bill continued on in the Air Force Reserve until 1994 when he retired as a Colonel. Among other assignments, he served as the Detachment Commander for Mountain Home AFB and Nellis AFB. His last assignment was in the Space Weather Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs.

Bill and Meridy are going to stay in Cheyenne. I think their grandchildren, Emily and Matt, play heavily in that decision. Their son Jeff is a doctor in the U.S. Army and is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in early 2006. We all wish Jeff the best during his assignment.

Bill's jokes and insight will be missed. Happy Trails to the ole Cowboy.

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