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NOAA Establishes Climate Services Advisory Committee

Photo collage of ecosystems and weather events

NOAA provides data, information, tools, and guidance on weather, climate, and ecosystems to help Americans manage risk and opportunities  NOAA image. 

Today, NOAA announced the establishment of a new Federal Advisory Committee that will provide the agency with advice on how to make NOAA’s climate services–data, information, science, tools, and decision support–easier for the public to find and use.

This Committee was formed in response to feedback from users from across the country who asked NOAA to expand the reach and accessibility of its climate services to better meet the growing climate adaptation and resilience needs of all communities. The Committee will play a critical role in helping NOAA gather continuous feedback from climate service users from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds– from industry partners to emergecy responders and community-based organizations. Applications for membership were solicited via a Federal Register Notice.

"NOAA is deeply committed to providing the services that the nation needs to grapple with the effects of a changing climate,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator Jainey Bavishi. “This is an impressive cadre of members who are committed to helping NOAA provide the science that protects lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles, and I appreciate their service to the agency."

The Climate Services Advisory Committee consists of 18 members representing NOAA's many constituents, including from industry, public health, education, state and local government, and Tribal nations. These individuals will provide collective advice and recommendations to the NOAA Administrator on a biannual basis. Members include:

  • Vidya Balasubramanyam, Research, Science and Program Director; Coastal States Organization
  • Doug Bellomo, Vice President, Global Water Resources Flood Risk and Resilience Practice; AECOM
  • Karyn Bigelow, Director of Programs and Advocacy, Next 100 Coalition
  • Debra Butler, Executive Director, American Society of Adaptation Professionals
  • Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Sustainability; U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Laura Edwards, South Dakota State Climatologist, South Dakota State University Extension
  • Laurian Farrell, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Coastal Resilience, Department of Environmental Protection New York City
  • Jairo Garcia, Adjunct Faculty, Lecturer; Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Martha Guerrero, Mayor, City of West Sacramento
  • Himanshu Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder, ClimateAI
  • Zachary Harris, Owner and Operator, A to Z Farms
  • Pablo Méndez-Lázaro, Professor, Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus
  • Kim Paul, Founder and Co-Executive Director, Piikani Lodge Health Institute
  • Julia Rockwell, Manager, Climate Adaptation and Watershed Protection; Philadelphia Water Department & Water Utility Climate Alliance
  • Raymond Sweet, Climate Coordinator, Hollygrove-Dixon Neighborhood Association
  • Melissa Widhalm, Associate Director and Regional Climatologist, Midwestern Regional Climate Center, Purdue University
  • Brooke Woods, Climate Adaptation Specialist, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Additional members of the committee will be named once they confirm their participation. 

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