Proenza wants his Job back.

[flwxwatcher]

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Ex-hurricane chief Proenza wants job back

By Maya Bell

Orlando Sentinel

7:17 AM EDT, August 2, 2007

MIAMI --

The dethroned director of the National Hurricane Center formally asked for his job back Wednesday, saying he was removed for publicly criticizing his bosses.

In an 11-page letter to Conrad Lautenbacher, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lawyers for Bill Proenza argue that the manner and timing of his removal last month was "suspect" and based on a shoddy investigation and inaccurate conclusions.

"We're hopeful they'll do the right thing and return him to his job," said Cathy Harris, a lawyer with the Washington firm of Kator, Parks & Weiser, which represents federal employees. "He was a victim of retaliation and is protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act."

Harris said the letter, which was sent to Lautenbacher and a U.S. House committee investigating Proenza's ouster, represented the veteran National Weather Service administrator's only opportunity to respond to a NOAA assessment team's recommendation that he be removed from his job permanently for "a failure in leadership."

She said NOAA never gave Proenza a copy of the team's report and he had to get if from Congress, which "was very disrespectful."

Lautenbacher dispatched the five-member team to the Hurricane Center on July 2 in response to private complaints from 11 staffers. Four days later, half the center's 46 employees issued a public statement calling for his ouster.

Maya Bell can be reached at mbell@orlandosentinel.com or 305-810-5003.

Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[jlauderdal]

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Ex-hurricane chief Proenza wants job back

By Maya Bell

Orlando Sentinel

7:17 AM EDT, August 2, 2007

MIAMI --

The dethroned director of the National Hurricane Center formally asked for his job back Wednesday, saying he was removed for publicly criticizing his bosses.

In an 11-page letter to Conrad Lautenbacher, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lawyers for Bill Proenza argue that the manner and timing of his removal last month was "suspect" and based on a shoddy investigation and inaccurate conclusions.

"We're hopeful they'll do the right thing and return him to his job," said Cathy Harris, a lawyer with the Washington firm of Kator, Parks & Weiser, which represents federal employees. "He was a victim of retaliation and is protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act."

Harris said the letter, which was sent to Lautenbacher and a U.S. House committee investigating Proenza's ouster, represented the veteran National Weather Service administrator's only opportunity to respond to a NOAA assessment team's recommendation that he be removed from his job permanently for "a failure in leadership."

She said NOAA never gave Proenza a copy of the team's report and he had to get if from Congress, which "was very disrespectful."

Lautenbacher dispatched the five-member team to the Hurricane Center on July 2 in response to private complaints from 11 staffers. Four days later, half the center's 46 employees issued a public statement calling for his ouster.

Maya Bell can be reached at mbell@orlandosentinel.com or 305-810-5003.

Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

that would be a real great place for him to work, what is wrong with him. the circumstances around this whole situation are biazarre but anyone in their right mind wouldn't want to return there.

[Chacor]

Already been through this - it's not in anyone's best interest if he goes back. I think he knows this, too.

[Aquawind]

He has lost it..

[dizzyfish]

You are right. It isn't in anyone's best interest for him to go back.

He is just looking for retaliation....plain and simple.

[Brent]

He has lost his mind.

The NHC doesn't need him in the middle of hurricane season.

[dixiebreeze]

I'd like to see him back at the NHC. He doesn't appear to be a go-along to get-along guy.

[lrak]

can he save the day for Proenza, and I like what dixiebreeze said. Maybe they all want a kiss ass boss and decided it was time for Proenza to leave.

[Bobbi]

I'd like to see him get his job back. I don't think anyone can argue there was retaliation for him not being quiet when he was asked to. Even Lauterbacher said in testimony he went down to deal with him after Mary Glacken was upset because he wouldn't listen to her.

Even if people were unhappy with him I am sure if he had stopped complaining about money being wasted by NOAA and the satellite and the issues of working together with HRD that Lauterbacher wouldn't have sent down a team.

Companies have programs where a third party can come in and mediate between an employer/boss and employees/workers. Happens all the time. I would think they are professional enough there to move on and get to work tracking and he can work harder at being a "people person"

1 + 1 = 2 not 3 and a half..

[destruction92]

I'd like to see him get his job back. I don't think anyone can argue there was retaliation for him not being quiet when he was asked to. Even Lauterbacher said in testimony he went down to deal with him after Mary Glacken was upset because he wouldn't listen to her.

Even if people were unhappy with him I am sure if he had stopped complaining about money being wasted by NOAA and the satellite and the issues of working together with HRD that Lauterbacher wouldn't have sent down a team.

Companies have programs where a third party can come in and mediate between an employer/boss and employees/workers. Happens all the time. I would think they are professional enough there to move on and get to work tracking and he can work harder at being a "people person"

1 + 1 = 2 not 3 and a half..

It appears most people in this thread are on the side of Proenza's former dissatisfied employees who signed the petition. Speaking of the petition, does anyone know who were the signers. I saw on the news a brief copy of the petition and one of the names I saw on it was that of forecaster Avila.

[Brent]

I'd like to see him get his job back. I don't think anyone can argue there was retaliation for him not being quiet when he was asked to. Even Lauterbacher said in testimony he went down to deal with him after Mary Glacken was upset because he wouldn't listen to her.

Even if people were unhappy with him I am sure if he had stopped complaining about money being wasted by NOAA and the satellite and the issues of working together with HRD that Lauterbacher wouldn't have sent down a team.

Companies have programs where a third party can come in and mediate between an employer/boss and employees/workers. Happens all the time. I would think they are professional enough there to move on and get to work tracking and he can work harder at being a "people person"

1 + 1 = 2 not 3 and a half..

It appears most people in this thread are on the side of Proenza's former dissatisfied employees who signed the petition. Speaking of the petition, does anyone know who were the signers. I saw on the news a brief copy of the petition and one of the names I saw on it was that of forecaster Avila.

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/200 ... ate.56.pdf

Franklin, Knabb, and Pasch were the other 3 well-known ones, but the list was much longer than that.

[lrak]

Avilas just pissed because they put up cams, and now he can't nap between forecast.

[Recurve]

Cams? Where? Can we see?

[bvigal]

Nope! I'm sorry, but what's done is done. This guy betrayed the trust of, and lost the confidence of, his staff. He is not a team player, and never will be. His main concern seems to be Bill, and Bill's career. His very loud and public lawsuit at the peak of hurricane season proves it. He had ample warning to back down, and still pushed the issue and got himself fired. He has only himself to blame, not NOAA. Either he's such an egotist he really didn't believe they'd actually fire him, or he knew it was possible and had the lawyer waiting in the wings. Either way, he's toast. I don't want peoples' lives hanging on his management style and ego! Organizations don't run well with someone ratting to the media every little thing they don't like - that is really, really intolerable!

[bvigal]

No wait, I take it back!!! Let's allow the lawyers and judges to dictate how things run, use the courts to force a hated boss back into position of power against the wishes of the entire organization, and see how functional they are. Oh, and by the way, on the back of the U.S. taxpayers! This country has gone bloomin' nuts!!

[lrak]

Its the American way. Nobody commented on UnderDog

[destruction92]

Nope! I'm sorry, but what's done is done. This guy betrayed the trust of, and lost the confidence of, his staff. He is not a team player, and never will be. His main concern seems to be Bill, and Bill's career. His very loud and public lawsuit at the peak of hurricane season proves it. He had ample warning to back down, and still pushed the issue and got himself fired. He has only himself to blame, not NOAA. Either he's such an egotist he really didn't believe they'd actually fire him, or he knew it was possible and had the lawyer waiting in the wings. Either way, he's toast. I don't want peoples' lives hanging on his management style and ego! Organizations don't run well with someone ratting to the media every little thing they don't like - that is really, really intolerable!

Thank you for being patriotic.
Anyone disagreeing is un-patriotic.

[Downdraft]

This no longer has to do with the tropics or the ability of the NHC. It's just a mess and belongs in off-topic. To much has been made out of this one way and the other and both sides have good points. Personally, I'm sick of Bill Proenza and I'm sick of his staff's bickering. It was up to me I'd keep him fired as a lousy manager and I'd shift the 4 primadonas around the country. A clique is a clique and when you get one at work you break it up.

[Chacor]

Nope! I'm sorry, but what's done is done. This guy betrayed the trust of, and lost the confidence of, his staff. He is not a team player, and never will be. His main concern seems to be Bill, and Bill's career. His very loud and public lawsuit at the peak of hurricane season proves it. He had ample warning to back down, and still pushed the issue and got himself fired. He has only himself to blame, not NOAA. Either he's such an egotist he really didn't believe they'd actually fire him, or he knew it was possible and had the lawyer waiting in the wings. Either way, he's toast. I don't want peoples' lives hanging on his management style and ego! Organizations don't run well with someone ratting to the media every little thing they don't like - that is really, really intolerable!

Thank you for being patriotic.
Anyone disagreeing is un-patriotic.

Not all of us are American.

[DanKellFla]

Proenza may have other motivations than getting his job back. He may just be delaying a "forced" retirement to get some more time in and improve his benefits. I can't blame him for trying to get his job back. I am under the impression that he is still getting paid, but not going to work. Am I wrong? Not a bad deal.