It seems that Bill Proenza, the new Director of the National Hurricane Center, is being very proactive when it comes to programs that affect funding at the NHC and National Weather Service.
He is being openly critical of an image building campaign at NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) He is taking great umbrage to a campaign that celebrates the 200 year history of NOAA. Apparently, four million dollars has been earmarked for the marketing push.
He also is complaining loudly about $700,000 in Federal cuts to hurricane research programs and says that inflation has seriously undermined the just over $6 million dollar budget of the National Hurricane Center. Oh, by the way, if NOAA officials have their way, it will no longer by the National Hurricane Center. It will be the NOAA Hurricane Center. Talk about a silly, unnecessary rebranding. And $6 million for what the team at the NHC (that’s National Hurricane Center in my book) does for our nation and the world each year. That is the best bargain in government.
Officials at NOAA eschew the concerns saying that the amounts are not that great and that the only goal is to let the public know that the Weather Service is part of NOAA. Sounds like a power hungry communications person somewhere in the mix to me. Why are they even in the mix? Has there ever been a better communicator for NOAA than Max Mayfield and Frank Lepore, the superb Public Affairs Officer at NHC. Oh yeah. They both retired this year. Probably over silliness like being told they had to take the NWS logo off hurricane tracking charts last year. I kid you not.
Hats off to Mr. Proenza. You have quickly earned our respect in a critical job.
