Proactive Proenza! Speaks Up and Told to Shut Up??

Tonight's post is dedicated to Bill Proenza, who I personally call Proactive Proenza for his incredible job of actually doing his job and trying to stop problems BEFORE they happen and address concerns that need to be addressed in a proactive way other than trying to explain to the public AFTER the FACT that they had a little problem and make excuses. What a gem of a man, a man who works for the government trying to serve the public proactively.

In this day and age where people worry on the weather, global warming and a repeat of the 2005 Hurricane Season we need a clear, head in Paradise down here worrying on how to protect us not singing "Don't worry, be happy!"

According to a story in the Miami Herald, Bill Proenza our director at the NHC has gotten a "lashing" and been officially reprimanded for vocalizing his concerns about the QuickScat satellite problems and other concerns he has about things that need to be done to do his job and the jobs his forecasters do to the best of their ability to protect us the public from Hurricane disasters.

http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/141783.html

It's a good article, one of many. I cannot begin to say how upset the meteorological public as well as the public at large is when they read about all the money that is routinely wasted by the government and then they find out that an important forecasting tool known as QuickScat is about to break and cannot be repaired until 2016. Yes, I said 2016.. that is like a long time from now. We aren't talking 2010 which would be a little bit upsetting or 2012 but no 2016.

So, according to the Miami Herald Article Mary here... (old pic btw)




....who works for the government was given the frustrating job of having to come down here and publicly rebuke him and remind him that some people in high places are not very happy with him. He is like I suppose just supposed to be quiet and do his job ??? !!! ummmm ???? I think personally he is doing his job and doing it very well.


Mary has a long list of accomplishments. She worked with AWIPS and other agencies, programs, etc. Anyway, now she has a new job that seems to be trying to keep Proenza quiet.

So I imagine she is really not happy about having to deal with Proenza during the later days of her "good government job" as opposed to her earlier work for AWIPS. Oh right AWIPS.. I always have a funny thought when I think of that agency, I wonder if anyone else does that too.

"From 1993 to 1999, Ms. Glackin served as the Program Manager for the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) with the National Weather Service (NWS), NOAA. AWIPS is frequently called the “integrating element” of the NWS’s $4 billion modernization effort. "

Personally I am very happy Proenza is so proactive in his job and appreciates the responsibility that rests on his shoulders in the Big Job at NHC. Nice to know that he isn't happy to keep quiet and ignore serious problems and wait to retire in his "good little government job" as I have heard so many in that position say in various government jobs be it city, state or federal positions.

I think he has to the first person I can remember who begins to remind me of Neil Frank who did all he could to try and build up awareness of the dangers of Storm Surge and overbuilding along the coastline in Hurricane affected areas. When Neil Frank spoke, people listened. Why? Because they knew he cared and they knew he wasn't afraid to stand up and speak to whoever to get his message out. And, he left Miami and his "good little government job" for the private sector and those of us living in Miami and other parts of Florida felt the loss greatly. Not that others weren't good but they weren't Neil Frank.

And, you didn't have the feeling that they were YOUR protector as much as someone trying to fill his slot. Many grew into their jobs, many did not. But, it's been a long time since the public has had anyone that they felt was really willing to speak out and speak up HONESTLY and say what was needed to be said in the way Neil did and I am beginning to get the sense that a lot of people like Bill Proenza and his very proactive way of addressing problems before they become the lead story on The Drudge Report or CNN has to break into their programming to lead off with some new Hurricane Disaster or Weather Emergency.

So... Go Proenza or as I call him Proactive Proenza!

We weren't sure who you were when you were given the job but we are very happy that you are there on the Watch and watching out for all of us in Hurricane Country.

As for Ms. Mary M. Glackin, I am sure you are just doing your job and waiting to retire somewhere that you can put up all your nice, pretty awards and sit back and relax. I imagine you must have ranch land in Wyoming, sure hope you didn't buy a nice retirement home somewhere around Naples, Florida because when you are no longer having to try and explain how everything is fine and dandy in weather forecasting you will be relying on the National Hurricane Center to give you their best forecast for Hurricane Mary and I sure hope that the QuckScat and all the other satellites and forecasting tools that they need are up and running properly.

That sat is so important it is hard to explain how important. I have a friend in meteorological high circles who a while back refused to talk to me about developing waves until I sat up LATE at night with him learning how to read the site and understand all those squiggly little lines. It is truly amazing and clarifies so much. As someone on TWC (that is THE Weather Channel) tried to explain.. it is like the difference between using glasses to see something and not, you still know it's there without them but it's fuzzy and then you put on the glasses and VOILA.. everything becomes clear. Personally, I like my weather info clarified by satellites like QuickScat and when they are about to break I like a new one ready to go up and replace it by 2016 or 2017. Sort of a long period to go trying to read without a good pair of reading glasses, don't you think?

Again here is a link to Mary's accomplishment's prior to getting her name mentioned in The Miami Herald. I am sure she has done many good things in her life in that job, many she could be much more proud of than having to tell Proenza to shut up and keep quiet.

http://www.ppi.noaa.gov/mary_glackin.htm

Hope the decor for your retirement home isn't on backorder until 2016...

Rolling eyes here, no words...

Maybe we should sit down and writer her a letter. Not sure if this is her current one but you might want to explain that you are personally very happy to have Bill Proenza as the National Hurricane Center Director and maybe she can write a letter or two to her superiors saying the public wants the replacement for Quickscat ready ASAP BEFORE the tired old one breaks.

Address online: mary.glackin@noaa.gov

I mean... Mary darling, can you see well without your glasses? If you can, you must be lucky... guess those good government jobs come with good health care!

Address for Mary if you want to write her a letter, send Excedrin or something.
Guess she feels far enough inland in Ellicott City not to worry on Hurricanes.. bet she's wrong there too!

And, Mary... if you have a screen name that isn't government related, you know like MaryMarylandWxrGirl@alternativeemailadressIcanhideon.com or something like that you might want to sit down and write Senator Bill Nelson a letter covertly so and please ask him to do something about that satellite BEFORE 2016. Just in case you want to retire and live by the sea and not on a dude ranch in Wyoming.

Please Mary email Senator Nelson at: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Thank you!!!

Be well, have a nice weekend.. Bobbi


Current address to email Mary Glackin to request her to speak to her supervisors and let them know that down here in Miami.. we like Proactive Proenza in charge and we respect him greatly. Oh LOOK.. The President does too!! Photo below of the President shaking his hand looking VERY HAPPY to have him on the job ;)


Mary M. Glackin
Assistant Administrator
Office of Program Planning and Integration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
tel. 301-713-1632
mary.glackin@noaa.gov