New Weather Service Director Named

Brigadier General (Ret.) David L. Johnson is the new NOAA Assistant Administrator for Weather Services and NWS Director. His first official duty is attending the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in Seattle, WA, this week, where he is interacting with NOAA employees, and NWS customers and partners.

"As I meet our employees at the AMS, I am impressed with everyone's professionalism and commitment to service," said Johnson. "I look forward to working with all of you - in the field and at headquarters. You make the NWS the highly respected and accomplished organization it is today."

General Johnson recently retired from the U.S. Air Force as Director of Weather, after an exemplary 30-year military career. He was responsible for developing policy and organizational structure to support global Air Force and Army operations.

"I want to thank everyone and especially John Jones who supported Jack Kelly as he wore two hats for the NWS and NOAA these past few months," Johnson said. "John has demonstrated strong leadership and devotion to the organization by doing everything asked of him, and I appreciate the example he has set. I want to thank Jack, on behalf of the NWS, for the great work he did as Assistant Administrator. I'm honored to pick up the reins from Jack and lead the NWS."

"I also want to thank Admiral Lautenbacher for the trust and confidence he has placed in me. I know he had many excellent candidates for the NWS Director's position, and I'm honored to be the 15th person to lead this great organization with such a long and accomplished history of service to the Nation," Johnson said.

"Over the next few weeks I plan to load my mental 'C-drive' - to learn, to understand, and to appreciate how we're connected with NOAA, the rest of Government, academia, and the private sector."

"Having completed the NWS modernization, we need to continue optimizing the benefits of our investment and emphasize the infusion of science and technology," Johnson said. "We need to show that our investment is worth it - to the 'Hill,' the American public, and to ourselves. This effort will pay dividends in future budgeting efforts that will shape our organization for the next decade. I'm proud to be part of the team."

Director Johnson is an honor graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in geography. He earned his Master's in human relations from Webster University. He is a graduate of the National War College, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Read his official biography here.

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NOAA Issues Draft Policy to Continue "Fair Weather" Partnerships

NOAA is accepting comments on a newly drafted policy governing NWS interactions and cooperation with the greater community of public, private and academic weather and climate institutions.

The draft policy, developed by the NWS Office of Strategic Planning and Policy, affirms NOAA's commitment to continue working with partners in the private sector, the media, and the academic community to provide weather and climate services to America.

The new policy was prompted by the 2002 publication of The National Research Council's (NRC's) "Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services." The NRC study commended the three-sector system for leading to an excellent array of products and services and contributing to the Nation's economy. The study recommended the National Weather Service replace its 1991 public-private partnership policy with a policy that defines processes for making decisions on products, technologies, and services, rather than rigidly defining the roles of the National Weather Service and the private sector.

"In response to these recommendations, NWS developed the draft "Fair Weather" policy which is now available for public comment," said Ed Johnson, Director, NWS Strategic Planning and Policy Office.

"We want to encourage all members of the weather and climate enterprise, including our partners in the academic community and the private sector, to review the draft policy and give us their feedback. We are particularly interested in the views of the NWS workforce," Johnson said. The draft NOAA Partnership policy is available in electronic form at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/fairweather or in writing through:

Fair Weather
Strategic Planning and Policy Office
National Weather Service, NOAA
1325 East-West Highway, Room 11404
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283

Comments on the plan should be sent via e-mail to fairweather@noaa.gov.

A copy of the NRC Fair Weather study was distributed to every NWS office. Additional copies are available at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/10610.html.

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NOAA and Consumer Electronics Association Cooperate on New Standard For Public Alert Receivers

NOAA is collaborating with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and Environment Canada to establish a new performance standard for public alert receivers to protect lives and property.

Public alert receivers for NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) broadcasts using the new industry standard will be entitled to bear a new certification from the Consumer Electronics Association. The standard, titled CEA-2009 - Receiver Performance Specification for Public Alert Receivers, defines minimum performance criteria for consumer electronic products designed to receive the digital alert signals broadcast by NWR and Environment Canada's Weatheradio network.

To ensure credibility and consistent performance of personal- and institutional-grade NWR all-hazards receivers, NOAA, CEA, and Environment Canada have cooperated on establishing technical standards. A draft technical specification for NWR receivers was prepared by the NWS, and last year NWS enlisted the help of the CEA to broaden these standards for industry-wide use.

The standard expands the functionality of the receivers by increasing the options available to consumers about when and how they are notified of these alerts. The standard defines consistent alerting signals, such as colored lights and LCD displays, that will indicate a public alert notice has been issued even when the device is in standby.

NWS discussed NWR capabilities last week at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) promotes growth in the consumer technology industry and represents more than 1,000 corporate members involved in electronics, communications and information technology, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. CEA-2009 is available from Global Engineering Documents at: http://global.ihs.com. Additional information about CEA's Technology and Standards department can be found at: www.ce.org/standards.

Read the complete NOAA news story here, and the CEA news release here.

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Nation's Newest Weather Office Performs Well During Tropical Cyclone Heta

By Delores Clark
Public Affairs Officer
NWS Pacific Region Headquarters

Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Heta passed through the Samoan Islands on January 3-5, 2004, testing Weather Service Office (WSO) Pago Pago, the southernmost NWS office. Forecasters and meteorological technicians worked double shifts, snatching a few hours sleep in the conference room or at their desk when they were too weary to continue.

"It was intense," said meteorologist Carol Ma`afala. "There was a lot of activity going on inside, lots of phone calls and visitors, but the cooperation and support among the staff helped us successfully execute our duties and issue the products on time." Lead forecaster Danny Sonoma concurred. "Most of the staff was here the entire time, even those whose homes were at risk."

WSO Pago Pago was dedicated on November 3, 2003, just in time for the hurricane season which runs from November through April.

The seige began on Friday, January 2, when WSO Pago Pago issued a Tropical Storm Watch at 3:30 p.m. EST. It was upgraded to a Hurricane Watch at 4 a.m. EST, Saturday, January 3, 2004 . The lead time was 53 hours. A Tropical Storm Warning was issued at 4:30 a.m. EST Sunday, January 4. A Hurricane Warning was issued at 11:45 p.m. EST Sunday, January 4. The lead time was 16 hours. The closest point of approach occurred at 10 a.m. EST Monday, January 5, when Tropical Cyclone Heta passed within 130 nautical miles southwest of Pago Pago. The strongest recorded sustained wind was 64 knots at the NWS automatic station at Cape Matatula on the east end of the main Island of Tutuila where the NOAA ARL Observatory is located. The peak gust recorded at WSO Pago Pago was 100 knots. The 4-day rainfall total was 6.75 inches.

The new building, constructed to resist winds up to 180 mph, came through with flying colors and virtually no damage during Tropical Cyclone Heta except to the perimeter fencing. An empty container blew across the property and struck the old WSO building but no obvious damage was reported. Following the passage of the storm, the office was one of the few buildings on the Island with power, thanks to the backup generators. There were no reported deaths but there was widespread damage to homes, downed trees, power lines, and phone lines, and one unconfirmed mudslide. The Territory of American Samoa fared well compared to Independent Samoa which was hit with stronger winds. The extent of damage for these islands is unknown at this time.

Throughout the event, WSO Pago Pago worked closed with the Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office (TEMCO). Visitors included the Lt. Governor, Congressman Faleomavaenga, and the media. KVZK-TV broadcasted the watches and warnings every three hours until the station lost power.

"Our joint efforts with TEMCO to sponsor Disaster Awareness Week this past November, along with the timely and accurate warnings issued by WSO Pago Pago no doubt contributed to the fact that no lives were lost during this event," said NWS Pacific Region Director Jeff LaDouce. "I am impressed by the dedication and teamwork of the staff, most of whom remained onsite to carry out the office mission while their families and property were in jeopardy," he added.

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NWS Leader Earns National Association Honors

The Association of Government Accountants (AGA), a nationwide professional organization, has selected Ted David, NWS Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer (CFO) and acting NOAA CFO, to receive the Elmer Staats Award for 2004.

This award, presented to one individual each year, formally recognizes federal professionals who exemplify and promote excellence in government, outstanding leadership, high ethical standards, and innovative management procedures. According to the AGA, the award recognizes David as a role model for others, and acknowledges his high personal and professional standards and his cumulative achievements throughout his federal career.

The AGA serves government financial and accountability professionals by providing "quality education, fostering professional development and certification, and supporting standards and research to advance government accountability."

David has been invited to accept the award at the AGA's Annual National Leadership Conference set for February 19-20, 2004, in Washington, DC.

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through December 31, 2003.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through December 31, 2003.

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