Dick Westergard, CCM

Richard J. Westergard, CCM - Curriculum Vitae
(Click here for PDF version) (Click here for Forensic CV)

A summary of over four decades in the field of weather

 

Highlights of my Private Sector Career

March 2004 to Present - President & Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)
Shade Tree Meteorology, LLC, 2766 Rosendale Rd, Niskayuna, NY 12309-1306
Awarded American Meteorological Society (AMS) CCM Certificate # 632 in March 2006
Admitted to Membership in the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists in June 2006
Appointed to the AMS Board on Outreach and Pre-College Education effective January 2007
Elected to the Board of Directors, National Council of Industrial Meteorologists in June 2007
Member, AMS Ad Hoc Committee on Uncertainty in Forecasts December 2007 to present
Provided customized weather information services, including:

custom forecasting for tethered balloon flights and Gulf of Mexico charter fishing
forensic assessments and expert witness testimony for attorneys and insurance companies
science teacher seminars sponsored by local museums and school districts
aviation weather presentations at libraries in the Mohawk and Hudson Library Associations
continue to mentor science teachers enrolled in the AMS's teacher courses

 

Highlights of my 31 year National Weather Service Career

Climbed two career ladders - most recently the professional meteorologist ladder from GS-11 Meteorologist In Charge at the Duluth, MN local service office in 1988 to GS-14 Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Albany Forecast Office in 1996. Prior to that I climbed the Meteorological Technician ladder from GS-5 Upper air observer trainee in 1973 to GS-11 Official In Charge of the local service office in Huntington, WV in 1983.

I appeared at hundreds of venues as the local, regional and statewide spokesperson for the NWS. I created and/or participated in numerous outreach programs, bringing state of the science information to educators and students in primary and secondary schools in a dozen states. I built award winning teams in Huntington, WV, Duluth, MN and Albany, NY and earned a reputation as an agent of orderly change on the cutting edge of field operations during two decades of turbulent technological advancements. I co-wrote weather emergency response plans for broadcasters and emergency managers in a half dozen states I expanded the NOAA Weather Radio network of the Albany office from 2 to 8 transmitters by assembling groups of private and public sponsors, one transmitter at a time. From 1997 to 2004 I was a mentor to science teachers enrolled in AMS teacher courses.

Meanwhile, I provided or supervised the provision of a myriad of basic weather services, including:

post storm service assessments
newspaper radio and television interviews
training sessions for volunteer severe storm spotters
weather watches and warnings
meteorological and hydrological statements
public, aviation and marine forecasts
surface weather observations
weather radar observations
balloon soundings of the atmosphere
teacher weather seminars

 

Highlights of my 7 year U.S. Air Force Career

Climbed the Weather Observer Technician career ladder from Apprentice Weather Observer in 1966 to Chief Observer in 1973.

Trained and worked as a Surface Weather Observer.
Trained and worked as a Weather Radar Observer
(and worked with every operational weather radar ever used by the U.S. gov't)
Plotted weather maps and charts.
Trained as a leader and supervisor.
Created all new operating procedures for a newly opened weather office.
Helped streamline office operations by incorporating new technology of the day.

 

Education, Training and Research

Weather and Management training in USAF to achieve Chief Observer rating 1966-1972
Variety of courses from five colleges and universities on three continents 1966-1988
Numerous courses in meteorology and management at the NWS Training Center 1980-1988
B.A. Degree - Meteorology/Computer Science, Marshall University, Huntington, WV - 1988

Graduate studies:

University of Minnesota, Duluth - interdisciplinary studies 1990-1993
SUNY Brockport - meteorology for primary and secondary educators 1998
NWS Training Center - meteorology and management 1989-2002
COMET at University of Colorado - warning decision making 1999-2002
NOAA/NCIM Public Private Partnership Course - June 2006
AMS short course "Meteorology for Surface Transportation" - January 2008

COMET funded Research with SUNY Albany Communication Department:
     (communicating weather information)
Partners Project - local focus groups - 1996-1999
Cooperative Project - nationwide focus groups - 2000-2003