Transcript Slide 1

Status of the AMS Response to
the 2002 NRC Fair Weather
Report
John T. Snow
Dean, College of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma
Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on the Weather and
Climate Enterprise
American Meteorological Society
2004 Corporate Forum 􀁸 14-16 March 2004
The Hilton Crystal City Hotel 􀁸 Arlington, VA
• 2003 National Research
Council study
• Requested, funded by
National Weather Service
• Examined roles of public
(government), private
(commercial), and academic
sectors in providing weather,
climate and related services
• Conducted by broad-based,
interdisciplinary expert panel
• Tasked to provide policy
principles and
recommendations that affect
the partnership between the
three sectors
• NWS got more than it
expected:
Advice on how to build
better institutions
Advice on how to affect the
culture of our community to
provide event better services
Reminder that disruptions
to the way we do business
are inevitable in a high-tech
business that operates at the
ever expanding limit of
scientific knowledge,
making rigid boundaries for
who does what and with
which tools counterproductive and diversionary
• Recommedation #3:
“The NWS and relevant
academic, state, and private
organizations should seek a
neutral host, such at the
American Meteorological
Society, to provide a periodic
dedicated venue for the
weather enterprise as a whole
to discuss issues related to the
public-private partnership.”
The AMS Responds
• Summer 2003: Forms an ad hoc committee
charged to “…study the possible responses to
Recommendation 3, seeking input from all of the
various constituencies that make up the Society.”
Ad hoc committee membership broad-based, includes
user community as well as representatives from
academic, commercial, and government sectors
Charge extends to recommending new organizational
structure for the Society if needed to better serve
current day situation
The National Weather and
Climate Enterprise
Commercial
Weather
Services
User
Community
Universities
Government
Weather
Services
Ad hoc Committee Members
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John T. Snow, Univ. of Oklahoma
Susan K. Avery, CIRES, Univ. of
Colorado and President, AMS
Ana Paula Barros, Harvard Univ.
Clifford F. Mass, Univ. of
Washington
George L. Frederick, Vaisala
Meteorological Systems, Inc.
Matthew J. Parker, Atmospheric
Technologies Group, Westinghouse
Savannah River Co.
Steven A. Root, President & CEO,
WeatherBank, Inc.
Robert T. Ryan, WRC-TV, NBC
Television
Edward R. Johnson, Strategic
Planning and Policy Office,
National Weather Service
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Robert J. Plante
Thomas D. Potter, Univ. of Utah
Jay Baker
Carl R. Knable
Maria Pirone, AER
Doyle E. Pittman, TVA
Kevin Lavin, National Weather
Association
Elbert W. (Joe) Friday, Past
President, AMS
Raymond Ban, The Weather
Channel
John Toohey-Morales, NBC
Telemundo
Walter Lyons, AMS President-elect
Valerie Cooper
Ronald D. McPherson
The ad hoc Committee Reports 1
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In its deliberations, the ad hoc committee came to realize that
the Society must look beyond simply responding to
Recommendation #3 of Fair Weather.
 The national meteorological enterprise is evolving rapidly and the
Society must change as well to remain relevant and supportive of the
discipline
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1st (preliminary) report to AMS Council in January 2004
recommends that the AMS establish a new commission
within the Society organizational structure
A New Commission For The
American Meteorological Society
Proposed
Commission on the
Weather and Climate Enterprise
(CWCE)
Commission
Steering Committee
(CSC)
Board on Community
Planning and Development
(BCPD)
Commission
Executive Committee
(CEC)
Board on Community
Communication
(BCC)
Board on
Economic Development
(BED)
Commission Steering Committee
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Will consist of community leaders and the leaders
of groups representing users of meteorological
information plus members at large, meeting twice
yearly
Purpose of the CSC is to provide a forum for
identification and discussion of issues of interest or
concern to the meteorological community as a
whole
Will normally refer items requiring further action
to one of the boards of the Commission
Commission Boards
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Board on Community Planning and Development (BCPD) 
strategic, long term focus; annual topic with ~2-year cycle time
on studies
Board on Community Communication (BCC)  internal
focus; will provide venues to bring together the meteorological
community to learn about, discuss, and provide input concerning
issues of short-term nature and of immediate interest to the
community
Board on Economic Development (BED)  external focus.
will grow the economic base of the weather and climate
enterprise by reaching out to the community of users, broadly
defined
The ad hoc Committee Reports 2
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Council response mixed; committee told to continue
January 2004: Ad hoc committee morphs in to “Ad hoc
Committee on the Weather and Climate Enterprise”,
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begins to lay ground work for the establishment of the new
commission
Currently, ad hoc Committee is …
… planning a web cast on a “hot topic”
… planning a first community summit
… revising its proposal
Goal: Begin formal establishment of the new
commission in 2005
National Webcast Panel Discussion and Public Forum
on the
National Weather Service’s Proposed Policy on Partnerships
in the Provision of Weather, Water, Climate and Related
Environmental Information
Wednesday, 14 April 2004
1-4 pm ET
GOAL: To provide an accessible, interactive public forum for
comment on the proposed National Weather Service policy on
partnerships in the provision of weather, water, climate and
related environmental information; to educate participants on
the details of the proposed NWS policy; to encourage comments
on the policy.
MEDIUM: MS Media Player and RealPlayer via the AMS
Website at www.ametsoc.org
National Webcast Panel Discussion and Public Forum
on the
National Weather Service’s Proposed Policy on Partnerships
in the Provision of Weather, Water, Climate and Related
Environmental Information
The Webcast will center around a panel discussion. The panelists, all members
of the AMS Ad Hoc Committee on the Weather and Climate Enterprise, include:
Dr. Elbert (Joe) Friday, AMS Past President
Dr. Susan Avery, CIRES, University of Colorado; AMS President
Dr. Edward Johnson, Strategic Planning and Policy Office, National Weather
Service
Mr. Steven Root, President & CEO, WeatherBank; Chair, Commercial
Weather Services Association
Mr. Matthew Parker, Westinghouse Savannah River Company; President
National Council of Industrial Meteorologists
Mr. John Toohey-Morales, NBC Telemundo; AMS Commissioner on
Professional Affairs
National Webcast Panel Discussion and Public Forum
on the
National Weather Service’s Proposed Policy on Partnerships
in the Provision of Weather, Water, Climate and Related
Environmental Information
An Experiment:
-- Example of role to be played by Board on Community
Communication
-- Webcast  small, virtual meeting -- short, focused, to
the point; eliminates need for expensive travel, time away
from the office
-- Cost effective ???
1st Community Summit on the National
Weather and Climate Enterprise
A 2nd Experiment to demonstrate the viability of a
high-level steering committee for the proposed commission
GOAL: Bring together community leaders, discuss a topic of
importance to the weather and climate enterprise, and provide
guidance/direction to the boards of the proposed commission for
exploring the topic through a variety of means and venues
FORMAT/TIME FRAME: One day, noon to noon/July, August
2004
VENUE: Central location (DFW, Chicago O’Hare, DIA)
TOPIC: ??? – questions around mesoscale observations
Unanswered Questions
• Can technology be used to involve more of
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the commercial sector and the user
community?
Will community leaders be willing to
participate?
Will the enterprise support the costs of
doing business this way?