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“TRIBUTE ON THE OCCASION OF MR. BRITT ``MAX'' MAYFIELD'S RETIREMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2095-E2096 on Dec. 5, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE ON THE OCCASION OF MR. BRITT ``MAX'' MAYFIELD'S RETIREMENT FROM
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
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HON. VERNON J. EHLERS
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Britt
``Max'' Mayfield on an exemplary career of service to his fellow citizens, and to wish him well in his much-deserved retirement. In his 34 years of service to the nation, Max Mayfield has personified the dedication and excellence that make the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service one of the crown jewels of the federal government. Since he began forecasting weather for the Air Force in 1970, and over more than three decades with the National Weather Service, Max has helped push forward the science of forecasting to help make our nation a safer place. But just making better forecasts has never been enough for Max, because a forecast does no good if nobody hears it. Mr. Mayfield has also dedicated his career to making sure that his always-improving forecasts get out as quickly as possible to the people who need them. For example, he has worked tirelessly to make more educational opportunities available to emergency managers so that they have the tools they need to interpret and respond to hurricane and severe weather forecasts quickly and intelligently.
There is no doubt in my mind that Max Mayfield's exemplary efforts, and those of his hard-working staff at the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center, have helped communities prepare for impending disasters and have saved lives in communities across the country and around the world.
I am not alone in my esteem for Mr. Mayfield. The American Meteorology Society, the National Association of Government Communicators, ABC Television, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the National Hurricane Conference, the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and President George W. Bush have all presented Max with formal awards for his outstanding achievements and service to his craft and to society. And those are just the formal awards--they do not include the many personal ``thank-you's'' that he has received from the very people he has spent his life serving, and from the people whose lives he has helped save.
So I am pleased to express my deepest gratitude to Max Mayfield, and to his endlessly supportive family for sharing him with us for this time. God bless you and the work you have done; I wish you calm weather and smooth sailing in your retirement.
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