Skip Navigation Linkswww.srh.weather.gov 
Go to NOAA's main page Go to the NWS main page National Weather Service

Southern Region Headquarters
  

Local weather forecast by
"City, St" or zip code

  
   You are at: NWS Home » SRH Home » SR News » 2004 » Distinguished Career Awards

NWS Southern Region Managers Honored with NOAA
Distinguished Career Awards

Two National Weather Service (NWS) Southern Region Senior Managers have been selected as recipients of this year's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Distinguished Career Awards. Southern Region Deputy Director for Performance and Resources Melvin "Mac" McLaughlin and Systems Operations Division Chief, Dr. Thomas Grayson -- are among 12 recipients chosen from a field of 38 nominations.

Southern Region Deputy Director for Performance and Resources Melvin "Mac" McLaughlinMcLaughlin launched his career as a Student Trainee for the old U.S. Weather Bureau, in the early 1960s, before serving as a U.S. Army Signal Corps Meteorological Officer in Vietnam and at White Sands Missile Range. He holds various military decorations including the Bronze Star. Following his tour of duty, McLaughlin became a charter member of the new NOAA National Weather Service in 1970.

Advancing quickly to positions of increasing responsibility, he served as Warning Preparedness Meteorologist in New Orleans; Deputy Meteorologist-in-Charge in Jackson, Miss. and San Antonio, Texas; Assistant Chief of Meteorological Services for the NWS Southern Region; and, Chief of Meteorological Services in the Central Region. In 1984, he returned to Southern Region Headquarters to serve as Chief of Meteorological Services, Chief Program Officer and in his current position as Deputy Director for Performance and Resources.

During his career, McLaughlin
  • Pioneered the development of the NWS severe weather outreach and preparedness programs.
  • Spearheaded efforts to improve severe weather warnings to the public by having the Region's forecast offices make better use of local and network radar data.
  • Headed a national task force to establish workload associated with the new WSR-88D radars and determined staffing levels for modernized NWS Weather Forecast Offices.
  • Organized weather support for the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.
  • Planned and directed a Congressionally mandated demonstration project that served as a model for the NWS Modernization and Restructuring program in the 1990s.
Systems Operations Division Chief, Dr. Thomas GraysonPrior to joining the NWS, Grayson served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and as a civilian research meteorologist at the Navy's Fleet Numerical Weather Prediction Facility and continued his military service as an oceanographer/meteorologist in the U.S. Naval Reserve -- until he retired with the rank of Captain in 1991. He began his NWS career as a research meteorologist with the Techniques Development Laboratory at NWS Headquarters in 1971.

He also served as Deputy Meteorologist-in-Charge at forecast offices in Reno, Nev. and Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chief of Scientific Services Division, Central Region; Deputy Regional Director, Southern Region; and, Regional Director, Western Region. While he proved to be an effective administrator, Grayson preferred to focus his career on the rapidly developing disciplines of computers and information technology and elected to return to the Southern Region to oversee the newly created Systems Operations Division.

During his NWS career, Grayson has served as researcher, forecaster, field office supervisor, program manager and senior manager. He helped
  • Develop numerical guidance models used by all NWS field forecast offices for critical storm warnings and forecasts;
  • Implemented development projects and comprehensive training programs that contributed significantly to staff's scientific training and professional advancement;
  • Implemented the computer-based Automation of Field Operations and Services (AFOS) into nationwide field operations;
  • Played a critical role in modernization and restructuring Southern Region field offices with specific responsibility for integration of the new Doppler radar network (NEXRAD), the Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) and the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS); and,
  • Led a national project to design and implement a unified NWS approach to display all WSD-88D radar data on the Internet - earning him and his team a Department of Commerce Silver Medal.
"I could not imagine two more worthy recipients for this prestigious recognition," said Bill Proenza, director, NWS Southern Region. "The outstanding contributions and dedication of Mac McLaughlin and Tom Grayson epitomize the level of public service the NOAA Distinguished Career Awards were designed to recognize."
 BACK:   Archived News
National Weather Service
Southern Region Headquarters
819 Taylor Street, Room 10A06
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Page last modified: September 30, 2004		 Disclaimer Privacy Policy