Retiring WFO Norman MIC Mike Foster (right) passes the office key to successor David Andra as NWS Southern Region Dir. Bill Proenza looks on (Photo: Rick Smith, WFO Norman)
(July 2, 2012) - Retiring WFO Norman Meteorologist-in-Charge Mike Foster formally passed the torch (well actually just a key) to his Science and Operations Officer David Andra during a farewell gathering June 29. Effective today, Andra is the new meteorologist-in-charge of the forecast office.
"We will certainly miss Mike. He has given the National Weather Service and the public more than three decades of outstanding service," said Bill Proenza, regional director, National Weather Service Southern Region. "At the same time, we are assured the office in in good hands and that David will continue that tradition of excellent service the citizens of Oklahoma deserve and have come to expect."
The WFO is located in the National Weather Center, along with the Storm Prediction Center, National Severe Storms Laboratory, Warning Division Training Branch, Radar Operation Center and the University of Oklahoma.
Andra says that provides some unique opportunities. "Since the office is actually part of the National Weather Center, my new position also affords me the opportunity to lead our staff's collaboration on joint projects for new weather services."
Andra launched his National Weather Service career as a meteorologist intern at the Weather Service Office in Oklahoma City in 1987. Two years later, he moved to the Norman office as a forecaster.
He also served as a meteorology instructor at the Radar Operations Center; and, as a Pre-AWIPS (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) program manager. He accepted the Science and Operations Officer position at Norman in 1995.
Andra earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Meteorology in 1986 and 1990 from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. He is a member of the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society.
