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“HONORING DR. ELBERT W. FRIDAY, JR., ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S7215-S7216 on June 25, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING DR. ELBERT W. FRIDAY, JR., ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE NATIONAL
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, in over 30 years as a U.S. Senator, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of Federal employees. Among all of those hard-working public servants, there are a few individuals who stand out for their commitment to doing the best possible job for the American people and who have the skills to get that job done. Today, I would like to recognize one of those individuals on the occasion of his retirement--Dr. Elbert W. ``Joe'' Friday, Jr., former director of the Department of Commerce's National Weather Service.
Dr. Friday has given 38 years of outstanding service to this country. Twenty of those years were as a U.S. Air Force Weather Detachment Commander in Saigon, Vietnam, and Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, and as the Director of Environmental and Life Sciences in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. The remaining eighteen years were served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). During his tenure at NOAA, Joe served as associate administrator for both the National Weather Service and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
As the head of the National Weather Service, Joe has guided the agency through the most significant changes in its 200-year history. Weather service modernization has required the implementation of powerful new observational technologies, updated information and forecast systems, and a streamlined organizational structure. When complete, it will yield revolutionary advancements in our national public weather warning and forecast system. In fact, in recent years we have already begun to document dramatic improvements in the accuracy and timeliness of the Service's forecasts of weather events. For example, the Weather Service has lengthened the warning time for tornadoes from 6 minutes back in 1994 to 10 minutes today. That may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but it can mean the difference between life and death for individuals who are caught in a tornado's deadly path. Under Dr. Friday's leadership, we have also seen substantial improvements in the accuracy of predicting hurricane landfall, allowing local managers to make better and less costly evacuation plans and emergency preparations.
In 1989, an anxious nation watched as Hurricane Hugo moved relentlessly towards the Southeastern coast. As we waited, there was one person, Joe Friday, that I could count on to answer my questions and provide accurate information for tracking the storm. During weather service modernization when local communities in every region raised concerns about the closing of weather stations and the placement of radars, one person, Joe Friday, sorted through the rumors, listened, and gave us straight information. In recent years, budgetary difficulties have provided Joe with some of his greatest challenges. However, he succeeded in protecting the National Hurricane Center and other essential programs from sweeping cutbacks that would have hampered the ability of the Weather Service to do its job.
Last year, Joe moved over to NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, where he is responsible for environmental research and technology programs like Sea Grant and Climate and Global Change. These programs are critical for addressing such diverse issues as global warming, climate prediction, El Nino events, red tides, and Pfiesteria. I am sure that many at NOAA would echo my view when I say that I regret not being able to entice Dr. Friday to stay longer in his new position.
Throughout his career, Joe Friday has shared credit for successes, but never blamed others for problems or difficulties. He is a rare mix of gifted scientist, decorated soldier, and eloquent speaker--a charismatic man who leads by example and has inspired a generation of men and women at the National Weather Service. His strong leadership, clear vision, loyalty, and concern for his colleagues were instrumental in creating an effective team of professionals. His simple but powerful philosophy has always been that, as a public servant, his responsibility is to provide the highest level of products and services to the people of the United States and the world. In all his endeavors, he has supplied endless energy, sound judgment, keen intelligence, and a sense of humor to the government he is so proud to serve. It was no surprise to anyone when he was awarded the 1993 Federal Executive of the Year, an outstanding and well deserved recognition for his contributions.
I am confident that I speak for many of my colleagues when I express admiration and thanks to Joe for his invaluable contributions to the United States of America and to the global scientific community. He has our best wishes and deepest gratitude for his accomplishments in his 38 years of Federal Service.
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