Max Mayfield to retire in January

[tropicana]

First, Pluto is gone bye-bye...now Max Mayfield too

I'm not a happy camper last few days.

[T'Bonz]

Crud. I was afraid of this.

He will be sorely missed.

[Pebbles]

Oh no He will be so missed! He is just fantastic at the job. But totally can understand why he is retiring.

On a side note...now who will i get my tropics gifts from?!!

For those new to the board.. here's a little something I wrote in tribute to Max last year.

------------------------
Max Mayfield Gave To Me...

(to the 12 days of Christmas)

On the twelfth week of the tropics Max Mayfield gave to
me... Twelve Wobble Debates
Eleven models plotting
Ten "novel" Discussions
Nine intensity forecasts
Eight vortex messages
Seven sat loops running
Six recon planes
Five Cat 5 Hurricanes!!!!
Four CV Systems
Three Fish Storms
Two Tropical Depressions
and a tracking map to pin on the wall.

[StormScanWx]

My best wishes to Max Mayfield. I appreciate his dedicated service, along with countless hours at the NHC/TPC.

[Canelaw99]

NHC Director Max Mayfield Holds News Conference
National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield talks about his decision to
retire. Watch it live on NBC6.net at 4:30 p.m. ET.
MORE DETAILS: <http://www.nbc6.net/tu/5iptSJMZ4.html>

From NBC6....

[Aslkahuna]

Max has 34 years of Government Service, I had 33-believe me after working that many years for Sam the Sham, one finally gets sick and tired of it and it gets worse the higher up the Civil Service ladder you go because eventually you have deal with the idiots in those funny white Buildings in Fantasyland on the Potomac.

Steve

[Thunder44]

what?!?!?! whos replacing him?

My vote is for the write-in candidate...

Derek Ortt.

To me Bob Sheets is the best. I will miss Max though. I do think he's done a great job.

[Downdraft]

People only tend to think of Max and the NHC from June to November but it's a year round job. Max has been skillful with his budgets, his staff and totally committed to public education in the off season. The responsibilities he carries on his shoulders are awesome. Very few people in government have the authority to request the evacuation of a modern metropolitan city or coastline. This has got to weigh on you when your assualted by those proposing their own agendas, those to ignorant to listen and those who would rather see you the scapegoat than the hero. He's done a great job and I can only hope he enjoys his retirement while turning over the reigns to someone we can only hope is just as good. Max is on my short list of heros right next to John Hope actually.

[JtSmarts]

Thanks for all you've done Max. May you have a long refreshing retirement!!!!!!!

[StormScanWx]

The new director hasn't been announced, is that correct? If not, any ETA of when we'll know?

Thanks,

SSW

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Stacy stewart for Director!!! He would make a fine Director. He would name every storm for what it is.

[Jim Cantore]

I think Max has been a tremendous director and an ambassador of the hurricane community.
MW

I couldn't agree more. He's had alot on His Shoulders these last 2 years and has come through it all with professionalisim all of the way.

P.S: Does this mean that "Fake Max Mayfield" wont be back on talkin tropics?

[DanKellFla]

He is 57. I hope I can retire when I am 57. But, I bet he will make a great guest speaker. Honestly, Sheets was such a character that I still miss him. I will say one thing, the accuracy of the tracks has been phenomenal the last few year. And, I never thought I would live to see 5 day tracks that meant something.

[Aslkahuna]

That's one of the advantages of coming into Civil Service under the old retirement system-one could retire at 55 and 30 years service if one wanted to. I know some people who stuck it out longer but most went out at 30 years or so. Contrary to Public Opinion, working for the Government is not the cakewalk that many people think it is and the option of retiring early was the carrot for the stick of having to deal with Sam and at pay generally below that on the outside (except for those entry level people working in the Whorehouses as the private services are often called in the Met Community). He can now do what Sheets and Neil Franks did and make a name for himself outside the Government-I suspect that the media will snap him up (for the record I retired at age 56)

Steve