 NWA August 2019 Newsletter
Issue 19 - 8
NWA President Paul Schlatter
It is now just weeks away! I can’t tell you how excited I am to see you in Huntsville September 8-12 for the Annual Meeting. This month’s newsletter is devoted to all the great events and opportunities associated with the Annual Meeting. In my President’s message, I want to highlight a key event I am looking forward to. But first, I hope you saw the email (or the website) for next year’s Annual Meeting. We were excited to announce that the Annual Meeting is the week of September 12-17, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was fortunate enough to join NWA CEO Janice Bunting on a tour of Tulsa leading up to the selection and toured a good number of potential facilities. The venue will be the Hyatt Regency, and the area surrounding the hotel and conference center is fantastic. Within a few blocks radius, there are numerous local eateries, bars with live music, and of course potential karaoke spots. The airport is extremely convenient and getting around Tulsa is a snap.
You might be wondering, “How are locations selected for the Annual Meeting?” Nothing about the process is random, and it takes months to work through the process from end to end. The first step in the process is to identify a region where the annual meeting will take place. The region to host the meeting is approved by the NWA Board of Directors. We begin by analyzing past meeting attendance numbers and compare that to the location of our active members, with the end goal of selecting a region to hold the Annual Meeting each year. The Membership and Marketing Committee continues to do a fantastic job providing this analysis. Suffice it to say much thought is given to just picking the region each year.
Once a region is selected, the NWA enlists the pro-bono services of an expert in securing venues for annual meetings. The expert reaches out to cities in the region and requests proposals based on the specific requirements for the Annual Meeting. Part of the trick is finding venues that can accommodate us for a specific week in September. We receive proposals from multiple venues across several cities in the region. Depending on the number of proposals and cities involved, there could be a couple of rounds of cuts. After careful review, the NWA Board of Directors approves the final location of the venue and dates. As President, one of the things I want to initiate is an earlier selection of future annual meetings in order to broaden our options and ensure a successful event. We are improving with the selection of Tulsa 13 months in advance, and I’d Iike to start exploring cities and venues for 2021 as early as this fall. As of now, we’ve narrowed our focus to the northeastern region of the U.S. and are looking forward to identifying an exciting and affordable venue for all to enjoy.
Speaking of affordability, that is the number one factor overall when selecting a city. That is also the reason it is rare to have an Annual Meeting in sought after places like Washington DC, New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, or other large cities. We polled all NWA members who are broadcast meteorologists about their thoughts on Annual Meeting cost and location. By far cost was the most critical factor, since a majority of broadcast meteorologists have to pay some or all of the cost to attend. Thus, we as an association have to be mindful of hotel costs, airfare costs, venue/food costs, and other associated costs with certain cities. So if you are ever wondering why it seems we have the Annual Meeting in “Mid Major” cities (referencing March Madness conferences), that is the reason. Hopefully my description of the selection process for the Annual Meeting dates/locations was helpful.
Shifting gears again to this year’s Annual Meeting, I am so excited for Huntsville and all the great events we are planning. One of the more powerful events I haven’t talked about yet that I hope you consider attending is the Supporting Women in Meteorology Luncheon at noon on Tuesday, September 10. The NWA will host a webinar August 7 describing what it is and why it’s important. Please try to attend the webinar for an in-depth discussion from a panel of speakers (yours truly is one). I believe we all need to be engaged in an effort to support women in meteorology. All genders. Why? First, the deck is stacked against women in science and math fields like meteorology. I know this because my wife is an engineer at a government agency and I understand all the struggles and challenges she has had to overcome compared to what a man would have faced on the same career path. I also know she is not alone in her struggles, as I have mentored/am mentoring women across the NWS. The private sector has arguably even more challenges. Female broadcast meteorologists have to deal with social media clowns judging their looks rather than their ability to educate the public. It’s not just on social media either, in the workplace women are often judged differently than a man is. The second reason we should all be supporting women in our field is because of a much darker subject: sexual harassment. At the annual meeting, I am very excited to have Angela Lese, a former SOO (Science and Operations Officer, my current role at NWS Boulder) in the NWS, share her stories with all of us right before the luncheon. She has been impacted by sexual harassment and, unfortunately, is not alone in this. We are looking forward to learning from Angela and beginning the discussion on this very important topic. I believe awareness and open discussions are some of the best ways for all of us to better support our colleagues in the field of meteorology and beyond. Angela’s talk before the Luncheon will be followed up by more tips and tools at the luncheon itself, exploring ways for ALL to be advocates and better colleagues.
All are encouraged to attend the luncheon. I have invited NWS leadership and they are planning on attending. All you have to do is sign up for the luncheon during registration. If you’ve already registered online, no problem. You can still sign up at the annual meeting at the registration desk. Please join me in attending this critical luncheon, Tuesday, September 10 at noon. Supporting Women in Meteorology Luncheon (SWIM) This will be the Diversity Committee's seventh year organizing the Supporting Women in Meteorology luncheon. This luncheon has evolved over the years from a gathering for women to meet other women in atmospheric and social sciences to discuss challenges in working in a male-dominated field, to more of a “lunch-and-learn” type setting.
Sometimes the group focused in on trending subjects in women's studies, and more recently we had presentations by women in leadership positions in the field. This year the luncheon will focus on how to engage men as allies and championing women in the workplace—workplace equality and equality are issues that impact both men and women. The Diversity Committee hopes that the information presented will help bring awareness to some and strike candid and robust conversations that will hopefully enable many to advocate for the equality and equity that all deserve. All luncheons have been and will continue to be open to anyone who would like to join. Research Operations Nexus (RON) Meetup – Honoring the Legacy of Ronald W. Przybylinski Ron Przybylinski, the former Science and Operations Officer (SOO) of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in St. Louis, Mo. left us the legacy of his unending motivation to interconnect weather operations and research in strong and enduring ways. Ron was a master in the transition zone, or nexus, of operations and research.
To honor Ron, the National Weather Association has hosted a Research Operations Nexus (RON) Meetup since 2015, and we’re continuing the tradition this year in Huntsville, Ala. This will be our seventh meetup, which included meetups at the last two AMS Annual Meetings. The RON provides the opportunity for an interactive “meetup” between research and operational meteorologists. The groups will rotate through a number of stations in speed-mentoring fashion and discuss a variety of ideas and themes that could benefit forecast and warning operations. Returning again, the popular webcast WeatherBrains will be broadcasting live from the RON Meetup so that more people who love weather will learn about the exciting new partnerships that are being forged to help improve the lives of those affected by weather. As we’ve stated before, we are in the relationship-building game, so let’s play in the nexus! The RON Meetup, a free event, will take place during the Annual Meeting on Monday evening, Sept. 9, 2019, from 7 to 9 p.m. CDT, immediately following the evening icebreaker in the South Hall Ballrooms of the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. You can sign up for the Meetup when you register for the Annual Meeting. For more information, please contact coordinator Greg Stumpf ([email protected]). Presentation Tips for Annual Meeting Are you attending the 2019 NWA Annual Meeting? Are you giving an oral presentation? If so, I have a challenge for you: Flip Your Script. Give me your central thesis or your main conclusion first, then use the rest of the talk to justify what you just told me. This idea is not new and is known by several different idioms. BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front. Don’t Bury the Lede. Or, as I just put it, Flip Your Script. Whatever you want to call this presentation idiom, please use it. Sorry to be blunt, but let’s face the facts. My attention – and if you’re honest with yourself, yours too – is a finite resource with lots of suitors. Social media companies spend enormous amounts of money to compete for our attention. Emails and texts are just a phone glance away. Ask yourself: At the start of my talk—when audience attention is likely to be greatest—will I be able to hook my audience by giving them an overview slide or discussing the nuances of a particular dataset? Or, will the audience more likely be hooked by my results? Remember, you’re competing against the allure of checking the latest posting to the #NWAS2019 hashtag. By starting off with your central thesis, one of two things will happen: 1) audience members will be hooked and stay with you through your talk; or 2) the audience member will hear your takeaway point before giving into the siren song that is social media, email, or text messages. I understand this likely flies in the face of everything you’ve ever been told about formal presentations. I understand this presentation approach may be a bit more than you are willing to embrace right now. I get it. I really do. But even if the Flip Your Script idiom is a bit too extreme for you, here are other suggestions to help improve your presentation: Drop the overview slide. All scientific talks have the same basic tenets: overview, methods, data, and conclusion. Save yourself a minute or two by not repeating what most of us already assume to be the building blocks of your talk. TL;DR. It is easy to fall into the trap of putting everything you want to say onto your slide. The downside to this is that audience members will likely read your slide before you finish speaking it aloud and then tune out. Or, their eyes will glaze over and they’ll simply tune out. In either scenario you lose the audience – and likely for good. Now, you may put everything on your slide because you expect to be nervous and don’t want to forget to say something important. To this I say, “Don’t worry about it!” You did the work. You are the expert. Only you know what you intended to say. If you forget something, chances are you’ll be the only one to know. Drop the “Questions/Thank You” slide. This is another slide that serves little purpose other than diluting what the audience takes away from your presentation. As I’ve already stated, attention is a precious resource. Other than your title slide, chances are – if you adhere to your allotted time – your last slide will be seen the longest since it is typically on the screen during question and answers. Rather than waste this precious screen time with a generic Questions/Thank You slide, remind the audience what you want them to take away from your presentation. Embracing these tips are not guaranteed to win you best oral presentation. However, they are designed to improve the audience experience and help keep your main points the main points. “But, Patrick!” you might say. “This goes against everything I’ve ever learned about giving a conference presentation.” To which I say, “It’s never too late to learn good habits.” See you in Huntsville! Integrated Warning Team (IWT) Session at Annual Meeting
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go wall to wall on TV during severe weather? How above sitting in the warning hottest at the NWS? Or, what it’s like to deal with severe weather and other emergencies as an Emergency Manager? Get ready for this year's NWA IWT because you will have that opportunity. This year we are bringing a full-scale exercise to you and putting you in the hotseat. This exercise is from a real event with real scenarios which you will have to respond to and manage in one of the defined roles. Don't miss out those opportunity to role play on Sunday at NWA 2019 in Huntsville at the first NWA IWT event! Allies in Meteorology without Regards to Orientation (AMWRO) Session at Annual Meeting AMWRO will be hosting it's annual Mixer Session on Tuesday Sept. 10, 2019 at Below The Radar Brewery in Huntsville (220 Holmes Ave NE, Huntsville, AL 35801) starting at 6 p.m. This will be a social mixer event where NWA Members from the LGBTQ Community will get together to support one another and meet each other. But, as our name states, this is open to anyone so we invite everyone attending the NWA Conference in Huntsville to come out for a great social mixer event. In the past, this mixer has been a success. As we continue to look forward, we want our members to support everyone from any walk of life. We hope you can come out to the NWA AMWRO 2019 Mixer Event at Below the Radar Brewery on Tuesday, Sept. 10 2019.  Broadcast Sessions at Annual Meeting Every year more than 100 broadcast meteorologists from across the country converge at the National Weather Association Annual Meeting to network, learn and earn credits toward Seal of Approval requirements. This year some of the most respected names in the industry will be speaking about social media, severe weather, presentation skills, and career advice, as well as topics that aren’t necessarily under the “meteorology” umbrella. The highlight of Sunday’s sessions will be the Integrated Warning Team (IWT) Workshop – a drill that allows meteorologists to “swap sectors” to see how an event unfolds. While some of these talks may be specifically targeted to those who are on-air, communication is a common denominator for the entire weather enterprise and meteorologists from all facets of the weather world are invited and encouraged to attend. We’re looking to Pay It Forward by helping attendees sharpen skills and broaden horizons. Student Conference at Annual Meeting This year's Student Conference at the Annual Meeting focuses on the many sectors in meteorology: broadcast, operations, private sector, and emergency management. For the first time ever, the Student Conference will span two days, Sunday and Monday, as we integrate more with the Annual Meeting. This will give students the opportunity to participate in the Integrated Warning Team workshop Sunday afternoon alongside professionals in the field! We’re excited to have Matt Lanza as our keynote speaker this year. Matt is well-respected in our field and has experience in the broadcast, financial and energy sectors as a meteorologist. All of our speakers this year have a variety of backgrounds and advice for students and young professionals alike. Some are young professionals who will talk about their journey from college to the field to help students get a better idea of what lies ahead.
One of the greatest benefits to students is the Speed Mentoring session. Students who register for the Speed Mentoring will have the opportunity to network with dozens of professionals in the field and enjoy a free dinner! The mentoring session is a great place to meet people in the sector you want to pursue. Unsure about your career path? This is the perfect session to get some ideas or develop a "plan B." Mentors will come from every sector of meteorology and are excited to help you on the path to your career. Many students in the past have used this session to help launch their career. Join us and take the next step towards your dream career! The student session, save for Speed Mentoring, is open to all Annual Meeting attendees. Whether you’re a young professional looking to change sectors or a long-time professional wanting to learn more about other sectors, we welcome you!
The WRF is looking for a few people to provide 25 minute presentations to the public. Contact Bill Murray ([email protected]) if you are interested. If your company or organization has a weather or safety activity and would like to exhibit at WRF, contact Bill Murray at the email above. More information on WRF here.
 Hotel Update for NWA 2019 #NWAS19 Due to the expected attendance at the 2019 NWA Annual Meeting, room blocks were secured in four different hotels. Links to each hotel’s reservation page are located here. All hotel blocks close August 16, or when full. Reserving a room in one of our blocks helps keep meeting expenses lower for all attendees. The Embassy Suites is nearly sold out. As of last week, there were still a few rooms on the starting and ending dates of the meeting, but those may sell out quickly. **IMPORTANT** If you have a reservation at one of the hotels, and you need to change your reservation, make those changes by August 16. This could open rooms for others. Dropping nights from your reservation after August 16 could result in costly penalties for the NWA. Helping us keep the blocks full helps us keep annual meeting expenses in check and prevents large increases in registration prices. NWA CEO Receives OSAE Award
NWA CEO Janice Bunting was awarded by the Oklahoma Society of Association Executives (OSAE) with their highest award, the George Nigh Association Executive of the Year. The award, named after past Oklahoma Governor and OSAE founder George Nigh, was given as a symbol of excellence for Janice's diligence and commitment to her roles as CEO of the National Weather Association, Executive Director of the National Weather Association Foundation, as well as her work in OSAE. National Weather Association President Paul Schlatter said Janice has transformed the strategic and operational DNA of the organization through her leadership and dedication to the mission. “She has reduced organizational risk, helped us become financially sound, and increased the overall membership experience. For this and so many other reasons, she is deserving of this prestigious award,” he said. Factor 110's Brian Ferrell added that Janice is one of the most member-focused association executives he has worked with. "She is constantly learning and searching for ways to advance the National Weather Association and I admire her and how she leads with compassion, always placing others first,” he said. Congratulations, Janice! by Bryce McElhaney, NWA Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Welcome Nicole Van Every! Nicole joined NWA headquarters as the Administrative Assistant on July 10 and will handle administrative tasks. Nicole’s background includes serving as a Program Manager for the Office of Weather Programs and Projects at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. She has helped other countries modernize their meteorological infrastructure, and helped teach courses in dual-polarization radar to forecasters in China and Taiwan. Nicole also taught Severe and Unusual weather and Introduction to Weather and Climate at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology. Her doctorate dissertation topic was How Atmospheric Conditions Affect the Singer, which she presented at the 2015 AMS conference. She also currently gives tours at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. "I’m really excited to be working with the weather community, because I’ve always had a passion for the skies,” she said. “I’m looking forward to helping represent such a wonderful organization, and have a role in the National Weather Association.” Outside of the office, Nicole travels the world as an award-winning soprano performer. 
#WhyINWA with John Banghoff John Banghoff, National Weather Service meteorologist at the State College, Pa. Forecast Office, shares his insight on being an NWA member, and talks scholarships and opportunities for students at the Annual Meeting. John's membership with the NWA has had a direct influence on his academic and professional career, he said. "I would say my involvement with National Weather Association was pretty instrumental in me getting a job with the National Weather Service," John said in the video.
Watch John Banghoff's #WhyINWA video here. Submit your NWA Member peers, or yourself, on this form to be considered for a future #WhyINWA. And don't forget to chime in on Twitter using '#WhyINWA'! Return to MenuSeeking Volunteers for the NWA Webinar Team Are you interested in discussing meteorological science and service in support of the NWA mission? Here's your chance. The NWA Webinar Team is seeking volunteers to serve as hosts for NWA Webinar Wednesdays. The time commitment will be at least two webinars per year with roughly three to five hours per webinar to help plan, review material, and host the one-hour broadcast. To qualify, a volunteer must:
If you’d like to join the team, please email Becca Mazur ([email protected]) with a brief statement highlighting your qualifications and interest. Thanks!
Two Meteorologists earned the TV Seal of Approval Congratulations to Yara Lasanta and Ashley Dougherty for earning their TV Weathercaster Seal of Approval!
Three NWA JOM articles have been published in the last month. JOM 2019-7: Development and Evaluation of the GLM Stoplight Product for Lightning Safety, by Stano, G. T., M. R. Smith, and C. J. Schultz. JOM 2019-8: Early Operational Successes of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Polarimetric S-band Doppler Radar, by Murphy, T. A., C. Palmer, C. Entremont, and J. D. Lamb. JOM 2019-9: Techniques and Thresholds of Significance for using WSR-88D Velocity Data to Anticipate The JOM publishes submissions in three categories: Article, Short Contribution and Commentary. The JOM is a peer-reviewed, all-electronic journal with an international scope, providing authors with the benefits of economical publication costs and rapid publication following acceptance. If you are interested in submitting a paper to the JOM, please go to the website for author information. Thank you to the JOM authors, reviewers and editors for continuing to make JOM a success!
National Weather Association | 3100 Monitor Ave, Suite 123 | Norman OK 73072 | 405.701.5167 Publisher: Janice Bunting, NWA CEO ISSN 0271-1044 |
Ron Przybylinski staffing the amateur radio station during severe weather operations at the St. Louis NWS forecast office.
Matt Lanza, #NWAS19 Student Conference keynote speaker.
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