Bill Read to retire as director of the National Hurricane Center
Bill Read, the director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) since 2008, announced Saturday that he will be retiring on June 1, ending four and one-half years as the nation's most visible meteorologist. Read took the post of NHC director after Bill Proenza stepped down following a stormy six-month tenure where much of staff revolted against him. In the wake of the turmoil stirred up by Proenza, Read brought stability to the Hurricane Center. Conversations I've had with staff at NHC indicated that Read was an excellent manager of people, and was well-respected among his employees. His management ability, easy-going style, and solid communication skills made Read an excellent choice for director of NHC, and he will be missed. “I will have been in charge just shy of four and a half years on June 1,” Read wrote in a letter to hurricane center staff . “I had no idea I would ever be considered for such an honor. It’s been quite a ride and I’m blessed to hit the exit ramp in my career after working with you all.”
Previously, Read served as director of Houston's National Weather Service office, a post he took in 1992. Read was called in to work at NHC three times between 1992 and 2005 to help out with hurricane emergencies. Prior to his job in Houston, Read served in the U.S. Navy, where his duties included an assignment as an on-board meteorologist with the Hurricane Hunters. He began his career in 1977 with the National Weather Service test and evaluation division in Sterling, VA.
Figure 1. Bill Read at the National Hurricane Center forecast desk. Image credit: NOAA.
National Hurricane Center Directors:
Gordon Dunn, 1965 - 1967
Robert Simpson, 1967 - 1973
Neil Frank, 1973 - 1987
Bob Sheets, 1987 - 1995
Robert Burpee, 1995 - 1997
Jerry Jarrell, 1998 - 2000
Max Mayfield, 2000 - 2007
Bill Proenza, January - July, 2007
Ed Rappaport (interim), July 2007 - January 2008
Bill Read, 2008 - 2012
Who will the next director of NHC be?
The retirement of Bill Read means that a search for NHC's eleventh director must be complete before hurricane season arrives. While I haven't had time to ask them if they are interested, here are four candidates who would make excellent directors of NHC:
Dr. Ed Rappaport, Deputy Director of NHC since 2000. Dr. Rappaport served as interim director of NHC during the hurricane season of 2007, and did a great job. He did not want to be the permanent director, though, and it is uncertain if would want the position now. In a Q and A interview posted on the NHC web site last year, Dr. Rappaport said, "The responsibilities are immense and, to date, the circumstances have not been right for me to be the director full time. But I will consider it the next time the opportunity arises. For such a critical position, one which has such important responsibilities, great visibility, many challenges and the long periods of travel, everything has to be aligned right within your professional and personal life to make the commitment that is required to do the job well." I have to believe that if he wants the job, the next director of NHC will be Ed Rappaport.
James Franklin, Branch Chief of the NHC Hurricane Specialists Unit. Since 2008, Franklin has been responsible for the quality of hurricane forecasts coming out of NHC, a tough, high-pressure job that he has handled remarkably well. Before arriving at NHC, Mr. Franklin worked as a hurricane research scientist for NOAA's Hurricane Research Division.
Dr. Chris Landsea, NHC Science and Operations Officer since 2005. Between 1995 - 2004, Dr. Landsea worked as a hurricane research scientist for NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. Dr. Landsea has testified in front of Congress several times on the issue of hurricanes and global warming, and has excellent public communication skills.
Dr. Rick Knabb, tropical weather expert for the Weather Channel. Dr. Knabb served as a senior hurricane specialist at NHC from 2005 - 2008, then took a position as deputy director and director of operations of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) and NWS Forecast Office in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2010, he joined the Weather Channel.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Starts with trees, then animals and finally other people....and wetting beds. ;)
Yore knot may king in knee cents.
hydrus...hydrus....i am not being impersonal. i simply stated that its just a tree. no big deal.
Oand uh, dont got a religion. Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ and ourselves. :D
Sorta feel like Tebow right now, but hey thats a good thing
Thanks for the thoughts/observations on the "end world" thing.
As to the end of the Euro, I have been watching that with more interest then the end of the world thing. The Euro coming to an end seems more likely at this point. Which my broker claims will be the end of the world. :)
any inside information on the Euro (do not tell the SEC) would be useful....
ah....Satan had a relationship with Jesus Christ...
You are not making any sense!
Time to go up the apples and pears!
...as did Pilate, Judas Iscariot, and they guy who scourged Him...
chris·ti·an·i·ty/ˌkrisCHēˈanitē/
Noun:
The religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices. Christianity is today the world's...
Christian quality or character.
really really need a nun with a ruler, or I think a yard stick. one of the kind made from a oak rod.............as in spare the rod.............
TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)
THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Satan(Lucifer) was once one of God's angels. he was the best one, and he wanted to be better then God. a third of the angels were followers of him, and God cast them down to earth. those angels are now demons, and Lucifer is the Devil/Satan. so yes he once had a relationship with Christ.
thats a dictionary not a bible
Therefore, by your definition, Satan is a Christian...
My name is Satan!!!!
Spoils sport, nothing else seems relevant at the moment. :)
speaking of things not relevant, who did win?
Really?? We're on to religion now? And I thought the politics was getting ridiculous.
Wassup neighbor?!?!?!
Not much. First day back at work after a 3 week stint with bacterial pneumonia. Yeah. Good times.
no, complete opposite of Christian. he was ONCE an ANGEL. Satan hates all acts that favor God, which is why he severely hates me. hates all here, but drifting from the Lord is turning to Satan.
And thats not good :)
Oh man!!!! Were you in the hospital?
a draw in other words. :)
We got done eating just after the first guy got ejected from the battle.
how many fist fights in the bars after "words"?
I've had viral pneumonia ~7 times. (Asthma doesn't help with that) and bacterial pneumonia once. (That was by far much worse than viral) 103-104 Degree fever for a week, dizzy, couldn't breathe. Not fun at all. Hope you're feeling better.
well....when ya feel up to it...come out to the beach and I'll buy you and adult beverage...
yes...your allowed to come out....
Absolutely my friend!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Indeed!!!
Its approching the Windward Islands now, man what a big storm
TEHENDZ OF WORLDZ!!!!!!
OVER9000 OF EVERYTHING!!!!!!!ALLINONESECOND!!!!!ONDEC21ST!!!!! !
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” is misattributed to Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Franklin did write this, in a 1779 letter to André Morellet: “Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.”
well with the collapsing La Nina and the fact that i have NO knowledge whatsoever on the forecasts for it i say:
14-17 TD's
13-16 Named Storms
6-9 Hurricanes
2-4 Major Hurricanes
Reasonable?
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