Who is going to replace Max Mayfield?

[HurricaneJoe22]

Search for new leader to fill Mayfield's shoes proving difficult

Many stay out of race to lead storm center

By Ken Kaye
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted November 18 2006

Who is going to replace Max Mayfield?
The popular director of the National Hurricane Center is retiring on Jan. 3, and television broadcasters, university experts, research scientists and management-level meteorologists are all considered potential heirs.
But many of them say it would be too tough to fill Mayfield's shoes.
Bryan Norcross has been mentioned as possible successor. But WFOR-CBS4's chief meteorologist says he's not interested.
"It is as difficult and thankless a job as you can imagine," he said. "It's too much work."
Frank Marks, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, also would seem a front-runner for the job, which pays between $109,800 and $165,000.
But he said he didn't even think about it.
"I know my limitations," he said.
Lixion Avila, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County, said: "I have no interest at all. To be director, you have many responsibilities way beyond my abilities."
Similarly, Mark DeMaria, a research meteorologist who worked for the Hurricane Research Division and now Colorado State University, said he seriously thought about it but decided not to apply.How about Rusty Pfost, the meteorologist in charge of the Miami office of the National Weather Service?
Nope.
"It takes a very special person to be director of the National Hurricane Center," he said. "And that person is not me."
The deadline to apply closed earlier this week. NOAA won't say who or how many people applied. The agency only will say it is interviewing applicants and a new director likely will be named well before the June 1 start of the 2007 hurricane season.
Ed Rappaport, the hurricane center's deputy director, had been considered the obvious successor. But he opted not to apply for personal reasons.
Mayfield and Rappaport won't say who they would like to become director.
The job isn't easy, officials say. The director oversees the staff of specialists who prepare forecasts, deals with administrative matters, travels extensively to promote preparedness, and gives hundreds of television and newspaper interviews when storms threaten.
For that reason, the new director should be a calm and firm voice, as Mayfield was through the tumultuous 2004 and 2005 seasons, said Palm Beach Assistant County Administrator Vince Bonvento.
"Max didn't hype it up," he said. "I think people really appreciated that.''
Tony Carper, director of Broward County emergency management, said Mayfield also made it a priority to keep emergency managers well informed. "To find someone with all these talents, it's going to be tough," he said.

[Aquawind]

Yep, The thing is it takes a very diverse person these days. Like with any profession when you move up into management your entire thought process has to change. You don't get to forecast or analyse data sets and focus on the weather like when your a forecaster. Sure you get briefed and are in the general know but real nitty gritty details and focus is not what you imagined when entering the weather field. Moving up into management is not all it's cracked up to be..it's not easy and yes often it's a sacrifice from the things you really enjoy. This job is very demanding physically and mentally even more so than for prior directors. I hope they can find a good communicator with plenty of energy to cover the spectrum of the job and calm when things get interesting.

[Derek Ortt]

The NHC director can still issue forecasts himself.

Dr. Robert Sheets quite frequently issued the forecasts himself when he was the director, though recent directors have chose not to

[Aquawind]

That's interesting.. That sounds pretty stupid if it's given out public. There needs to be one official word from that office imo.

[Derek Ortt]

If you're referring to the Dr Sheets comment, I meant that he issued the NHC forecasts himself at times. Thus, the new director can as well

[Aquawind]

There ya go Derek.. I think having them issue the official forecast is rather cool. No probs with that for me.. In fact that could be rather beneficial at critical times for the public. Thanks for clarifying that. I am anxious to hear of the new director. Any inside information passing around the office?

[Derek Ortt]

nothing confirmed, but I have ideas as to who it may be (but would only be speculation on my part)

[brunota2003]

nothing confirmed, but I have ideas as to who it may be (but would only be speculation on my part)

and of course...let me guess "What goes on in the office, stays at the office" huh?

[Hurricaneman]

If it was me, I would pick Stacy Stewart

[JonathanBelles]

all i care is that it isnt a radical director.

[Frank2]

It needs to be someone who has a good understanding of the Regional hurricane issues - the worst thing would be to select someone from an out-of-state University, who doesn't understand the regional hurricane problems here in Florida, or along the Gulf Coast, but, believes that skill in meteorology is the only issue with the position - it isn't...

Also, when I first heard of the NHC, Florida and the Gulf Coast (and the rest of the southeast US east coast) were largely rural, but, now have close to 1/4 of the entire US population - it is a position of great responsibility, as opposed to the "old" days, when it required much less of the person - this is probably why so many are now afraid, in a sense, of the position, especially after the Katrina disaster...

Frank

[WeatherEmperor]

I would say for Derek Ortt go give it a shot. Wouldnt hurt. lol. But I think he might be a bit too young, experience wise not energy wise

<RICKY>

[JonathanBelles]

id like to see derek take the job but i agree he's too young. I would like to see someone with a lot of energy

[Derek Ortt]

I need to finish up my Masters first

Hopefully that will be by next August

[Aslkahuna]

If one looks at the Job Requirements, it's going to have to be someone who has been a Civilian Met (or retired Military) for a long time as that's a high grade position and time in lower grades is required.

Steve

[Frank2]

That's only true if the person is already a Federal employee - if I'm not mistaken, their were two vacancy annoucements for Max's position - one for those with Federal status (current Federal employees, who must meet in-grade requirements, as you said), and one for the public (those without Federal status, including those with prior military experience, who can qualify with either work experience or a combination of work and education).

Frank

[Aslkahuna]

For non status applicants, the work and education experience required for qualification will add up to the same as lower GS grade experience. Still going to need a minimum of a MS (PhD preferred) with umpteen years experience in the field preferably in the realm of Tropical Met and specifically Tropical Cyclone experience. Maybe a former JTWC Director or someone from say NRL may be eligible but there aren't many non status applicants who would met the requirements.

Steve