Straight Talk:
Congratulations to NOAA LCDP Graduates

Members of Class IV of the NOAA Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP) held their Graduation Ceremony in Silver Spring, MD, on October 21, 2005. On behalf of all of us at NOAA/NWS, congratulations to all 27 NOAA employees of Class IV, and especially our NWS graduates for their completion of the LCDP program:

Chris Burr, National Hurricane Center
Daryl Covey, Radar Operations Center
Fiona Horsfall, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services
Donell Woods, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services

The LCDP is a very worthwhile program for developing leadership skills. If you are eligible, I hope you take advantage of the next opportunity to apply. If you have questions on the program, please contact Kathy Watson, NWS LCDP program coordinator.

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In a recent news release, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska commended Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez for working with the Department of Homeland Security and private industry to distribute 16,000 NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receivers to schools.

Read the Senate Commerce Committee news release here.

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Human Capital Annual Operating Plan Now Online

This summer the NWS Corporate Board's Workforce Human Capital Committee finalized its Human Capital Strategic Plan for 2006-2010. To help execute the plan, the committee developed an Annual Operating Plan (AOP). The AOP is available online at the NWS Employee Resource webpage https://bestpractices.nws.noaa.gov/.

Use your NOAA e-mail ID [firstname.lastname] and password to enter the Employee Resources page, then see either the What’s New section or the Human Resources Tools section.

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Bernard Meisner Receives Prestigious Carnegie Mellon Award

Bernard N. Meisner, Deputy Chief of the NWS Southern Region Scientific Services Division (SSD), recently earned the 2005 Carnegie Mellon Alumni Merit Award.

Bernard Meisner

Selected by the Carnegie Mellon Alumni Association, Meisner is one of only six individuals nationwide to receive this prestigious honor. The award recognizes him for “exceptional accomplishment in his chosen profession, to which he has brought a degree of progress and has become a distinguished leader.”

Noting Meisner’s expertise as an innovative leader in tele-training techniques, former NWS Southern Region SSD Chief Dan Smith says, “Dr. Meisner continues to perfect this medium for technical and scientific training in the National Weather Service, and the process has played a major role in directing management decisions at the highest levels of the organization. He is frequently recognized for his contributions in this area, and for the quality of his work in enhancing the scientific basis for warnings and forecasts throughout the National Weather Service.”

The 2005 Alumni Merit Award was presented by Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon during a homecoming weekend ceremony on the University’s campus in Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 28.

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Service to America Award Nominations Sought

NOAA is accepting nominations for the 2006 Service to America Medals Award (Sammies). This award is presented annually to honor members of America’s Federal workforce who have made notable contributions to the nation. Winners are featured in Government Executive, the National Journal, and The Atlantic; each receives a monetary award of at least $3,000; and all recipients will be honored at a gala in Washington, DC, in Fall 2006.

Think about those members of your staff who have demonstrated commitment, innovation, and creativity in addressing the needs of the Nation, and please ensure that deserving employees from all groups are considered for appropriate recognition through this nomination process. To make a nomination, complete the nomination form information (including responses to essay questions) and submit electronically in a Word document to Denise.Hamilton@noaa.gov. Note: the nomination form should not be filled out online, but all information contained in the nomination form should be submitted electronically in the Word document. Nominations must be submitted by COB Thursday, December 1, 2005. All nominations will be reviewed and endorsed by the NWS Assistant Administrator before forwarding to NOAA. For more information, including a program overview, which includes eligibility requirements and a list of the award categories, visit http://www2.govexec.com/SAM/. If you have any questions, please contact Denise Hamilton at (301) 713-1698 x134.

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Alabama Forecast Office Open House Ties into Air and Car Show

The Birmingham National Weather Service office held its third annual open house in conjunction with the 2005 Wings & Wheels Air and Car Show recently held at the Shelby County, AL, Airport.

Over the two-day period, the Birmingham office had over 550 people learn about the NWS and see the staff at work. Visitors were greeted by Lead Forecaster Mark Rose, and were able to interact with the office’s “pet tornado.” The tornado simulator demonstrates how tornadoes are created and sustain themselves, and how disruption of wind affects their structure. In the library, visitors viewed the operations area and see forecasters hard at work. Forecaster Jim Westland, and his wife Andi, were on hand to answer any questions. They were assisted by Meteorologist-In-Charge Jim Stefkovich. Several hands-on activities and informational pamphlets were available for those interested. Visitors learned about air pressure using a Cartesian diver, and were able to examine a radiosonde and upper air balloon.

Hydrometeorological Technicians Don Smith and Rocky Baer performed a special upper air release, assisted by Electronic Systems Analyst John Peruzzo and Forecaster John Sirmon. During the event, Sirmon was the liaison with the air show and explained the National Weather Service role and mission. Peruzzo was the office’s liaison with the event sponsors and handled many details in planning for the event.

Lead Forecaster Faith Borden, with additional volunteer help from friends of Peruzzo, led the efforts for a charity bake sale which was held during the open house. Baked goods, snow cones, and lemonade were sold. Six hundred dollars was raised for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The monies will be donated through an office Combined Federal Campaign contribution. Many thanks go to the whole Birmingham Team for providing such delicious items and for making this year’s open house another success.

Five Minutes with Troy Nicolini, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Eureka, CA

Troy Nicolini is a rare Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) -- he doesn't have a meteorology background.

Troy Nicolini

Nicolini has worked seven years with the NWS, mostly as a Service Hydrologist. He holds two degrees from the University of California, Davis: a B.S. degree in Computer Science, and a Masters in Civil Engineering. He started his career as a hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked there a total of nine years before joining the NWS as a Service Hydrologist in 1998. Since September 2004 he's been Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the Eureka, CA, Weather Forecast Office.

What interested you in becoming a WCM?
As a Service Hydrologist I was coordinating with the SOO and the WCM and some of my duties were comparable to a WCM's duties when it came to working with the media and conducting outreach.

I recognized that here on the west coast, while we didn't have many deaths caused by floods, we were seeing people die in recreational activities on rivers through swimming and boating, so I got involved with educating people on the dangers associated with river recreation. That spawned other outreach. I've been involved with the marine program and outreach on wave safety, and I've developed a sandbagging class to educate people on how to prepare for rising water and floods.

What did you do in your time with the Army Corps of Engineers?

I developed hydrologic and hydraulic models at the Hydrologic Engineering Center, and I also developed and delivered short courses in the field of hydrologic and hydraulic engineering.

Any surprises about your WCM job?

It's a pretty busy position to hold, with a lot of time demands. The work is not just outreach; the WCM is also completing the circle in the NWS mission. I'm educating people to take the right actions, understanding how people make decisions, and using that knowledge to help modify the way we do and communicate forecasts.

Is it harder for a non-meteorologist to serve as a WCM?

Yes and no. I really think a meteorological background helps in the WCM position, but coming to the job from the experience of an engineer and not a meteorologist, I think my diverse background helps me avoid using jargon and unfamiliar science when I'm talking to a non-scientific audience.

How have you liked working with reporters?

I'm comfortable with the local media, but surprised with the aggressiveness of the national media.

How about emergency managers?

I enjoy working with the emergency managers in our rural counties because they have great depth and breadth of knowledge of their regions. They are all life-long residents and therefore they know everything going on in their counties. They are, consequently, a tremendous resource that I rely on heavily to accomplish our mission.

Have you been working with any other NOAA line offices?

I've worked pretty closely with our local NOAA Fisheries office over the past seven years. We've co-sponsored a couple of workshops and also put on a one-day weather training course for water resources professionals. We've also collaborated on data collection efforts. This has been a really productive relationship for us because the public and private groups working on anadromous fish issues comprise one of our most important hydrologic customers. I also worked closely with NOS [NOAA's Ocean Service] during a multi-year effort to measure currents in one of our local bays

Are you working on any special projects now?

I am leading a team that is developing a high resolution ocean wave model to improve guidance in the region where 95 percent of human activity occurs – within fifteen miles from shore. I am also a subject matter expert on two COMET professional development series training modules, and I have recently joined the national Satellite Requirements and Solutions Steering Team.

Is there any ultimate career goal for you?

Either MIC or director of a research lab. I really like working with a group of talented operational folks, but I'm also addicted to pondering the future – both its challenges and innovative solutions.

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Also On the Web…Weathering the Storm

For those who missed it, a recent Government Executive magazine column focuses on the good performance of the NWS and the U.S. Coast Guard in dealing with Hurricane Katrina. Read the column here.

Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through October 31, 2005.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through October 31, 2005.