Mr. Rothfusz earned his Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Master of Science degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. With the NWS, Mr. Rothfusz has served in various capacities at several locations across the southern part of the country. Prior to his appointment as Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) of the Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, he served as the MIC in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mr. Rothfusz was recently awarded the Department of Commerce's second-highest honor, a Silver Medal, for leading the development of StormReady, a program which recognizes communities well- prepared for severe weather hazards. Since its inception in 1999, StormReady has directly improved preparedness and warning programs in communities throughout the nation.

During his first tour of duty in Georgia, Mr. Rothfusz led a special team of U.S., Canadian, and Australian forecasters in providing weather support to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Several awards were bestowed upon the team for its accomplishments. The American Meteorological Society recently presented Mr. Rothfusz with its prestigious Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for his leadership of the weather support efforts for the 1996 Olympics.

Mr. Rothfusz has authored several technical papers on topics ranging from the heat index to tornado dynamics to decision support systems. He has appeared on programs such as NOVA, CNN's Future Watch, National Geographic, and in scores of interviews by national and international media during the Olympics. He is a member of several meteorological and emergency management professional organizations.