Office Sharing Keeps Services Going While WFO Moves Into New Digs

NOAA's NWS Forecast Office in League City, TX, (Houston/Galveston) was literally on the move recently. The entire office moved into new quarters in the Galveston County Emergency Facility. And thanks to NWS colleagues in the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), customers of WFO Houston/Galveston didn't notice any wrinkles in forecast and warning operations.

WFO forecasters began working alongside SMG meteorologists at their JSC facility, April 8, 2005. The backup schedule called for three shifts with two forecasters on duty 24 hours a day through April 14. The WFO is now located on the second floor of the new emergency facility which is designed to withstand the most intense hurricanes. This allows uninterrupted service from the NWS, county and state emergency managers during any type of weather conditions.

The NWS Spaceflight Meteorology Group consists of nine meteorologists under the direction of Meteorologist-In-Charge Frank Brody. The group provides unique world-class weather support to the U.S. Human Spaceflight effort by providing weather forecasts and briefings to NASA personnel; pre- and post-spaceflight weather analyses and documentation; advising the JSC community of adverse weather impacting the JSC complex; serving as meteorological consultants to the JSC community for current and future spaceflight endeavors; and, developing tools and techniques to enhance SMG's weather support and to improve the science of meteorology.

Brody said his staff was happy to make room for their NWS colleagues. WFO Warning Coordination Meteorologist Gene Hafele said it really made the move less stressful for the employees.

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RANET Expands in the South Pacific

The Honorable Young Vivian, Premier of Niue (left) and Edward Young, Deputy Director of NOAA's National Weather Service Pacific Region and chairman of the RANET (Radio Internet) Pacific Steering Committee, dedicate the first RANET Community FM Radio Station in this South Pacific country. Photo by Niu Tauevihi, Niue Government Public Relations Officer.

On April 15, 2005, the Honorable Young Vivian, Premier of Niue (a tiny Pacific Island, located about 1,700 miles northeast of New Zealand), presided over the dedication of the first RANET (RAdio InterNET) Community FM Radio Station in this South Pacific country in conjunction with the 10th SPREP (South Pacific Regional Environment Program) Meteorological Service Directors Meeting.

Premier Vivian was assisted in the ribbon cutting by Edward Young, Deputy Director of NOAA's National Weather Service Pacific Region, and chairman of the RANET Pacific Steering Committee.

RANET, an international collaboration of organizations dedicated to making weather, climate, and related information more accessible to remote and resource-poor populations, began in Africa in 1998. Under the leadership of the RANET Pacific Steering Committee, the program expanded into the Pacific in 2003 with demonstration projects in Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia. A second RANET FM Community Radio Station on Niue will be dedicated in June 2005. Niue is still recovering from property damage and losses sustained from Cyclone Heta in January 2004. Communications on Niue were difficult after its telecommunications satellite dish was destroyed by Heta.

The RANET station will aid Niue's efforts to provide warnings to the public during disaster events, and to reduce deaths and property losses. International cooperation and collaboration are a part of NOAA's cross-cutting priorities for the 21st century.

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Southern Region Director Supports Hispanic Education Initiative

California State University (CSU) President James Lyons (left) greets NWS Southern Region Director Bill Proenza and White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans Executive Director Adam Chavarria (right) prior to a meeting at CSU's Dominguez Hills Campus.

NOAA's NWS Southern Region Director Bill Proenza represented Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez recently at a meeting on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans held at California State University (CSU) in Carson, CA.

On October 12, 2001, President George W. Bush signed an executive order establishing the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The purpose of the 17 member commission was to work collectively to address the educational issues facing children of Hispanic ancestry living in the United States.

A multi-year action plan was developed to help close the educational achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers. It was designed to help ensure members of the fastest growing segment of the Nation's population not only graduate high school at the same rate as their peers – but go on to complete a college education.

"To do that, we need to reach out to Hispanic parents, educators, business and community leaders – as well as government officials at the local, state, and federal level," said Proenza. "The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans relies on the cooperative efforts of entire communities."

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Also On the Web...
Government Executive Says NCEP Director "Exemplifies Leadership"

National Centers for Environmental Prediction Director Louis Uccellini is favorably profiled along with several other government leaders in an April 15, 2005, story in Government Executive magazine. "Louis Uccellini has developed a reputation for delivering big projects," the magazine writes. "A key to his success, he says, is the '30-second elevator speech. When the moment comes, a good manager has his talking points ready.'" Read the article here.

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through April 30, 2005.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through April 30, 2005.

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Snapshots

Click here for a look at photos we've received from around the NWS.