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I am honored to be nominated for President of the AMS, a society I’ve belonged to and participated in since 1987. The coming years will be challenging ones for the atmospheric and related environmental science communities and AMS. However, there are enormous opportunities to serve those who make their careers in advancing knowledge and providing the resulting products and services, and those who utilize that information to protect life, health, and property, and support environmentally-informed decision making on all spatial and temporal scales. With recent and projected changes in the intensity, frequency, and distribution of extreme events, the work of the AMS, its members, and partners has never been more important for the affected communities.
Changes in technology, policy, and work approaches mean that the AMS must proactively evolve the way it runs its meetings, publications programs, and routine operations. Recent and ongoing evolution in the contributions of academia, industry, government, and NGOs to our disciplines, as well as changes in technology itself (e.g., artificial intelligence/machine learning, computing, satellite constellations) require AMS to co-evolve, taking advantage of the new capabilities and participants.
In particular, AMS will need to adapt to changes in government support and the organizations that provide it, the continuing politicization of climate, and increasing public distrust of science. To meet its priorities for the 2020s, AMS must remain an organization that constructively engages and welcomes all interested and talented individuals and institutions while similarly ensuring that the services our community produces benefit all of society. Navigating these topics while maintaining the AMS’s financial security and scientific integrity will be critical. With my combination of disciplinary knowledge, management and budget experience, familiarity with AMS and the weather-water-climate enterprise, and collegial approach to problem-solving and relationship building, I am well-positioned to help lead AMS through these dynamic times.
Jack A. Kaye retired earlier this year after a 41-year career at NASA as a researcher, program manager, and executive at NASA. He started as a stratospheric ozone researcher at the Goddard Space Flight Center in 1983, joined Headquarters to manage the Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program in 1990, and was promoted to run NASA’s Earth Science research program in 1999. In this role he managed a budget of some $500M/year providing scientific oversight of NASA’s research in all components of Earth System Science as well as enabling activities in airborne science, scientific computing, space geodesy, early career research, and education. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the NASA-USGS Pecora Award (Individual) in 2024, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2022, and three Meritorious Senior Executive awards from the Office of Personnel Management. He was elected as a Fellow by AMS and AAAS. He served on the AMS Awards Nomination Committee and Fellows Committee and was an active participant in the AMS Policy and Education Programs. He has played a leadership role in interagency coordination of Earth Science effort; he was NASA’s long-time principal for the US Global Change Research Program, and representative to (and chair for one year) of the Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. He was a founding co-chair of the Committee on Research and Innovation of the Interagency Council to Advance Meteorological Services. Internationally, he chaired the World Meteorological Organization’s Expert Team on Satellite Systems and then served as vice chair of its Expert Team on Space Systems and Utilization and was active in bilateral and multilateral efforts in remote sensing and climate research. He has degrees in chemistry from Adelphi University (BA) and the California Institute of Technology (PhD) and did post-doctoral work at the US Naval Research Laboratory.
Professional societies, like AMS, are the essential connective tissue for the progress of our science, technology, operations, and applications. Not just forums for bringing a diversity of ideas and perspectives together, these societies play a key role in driving what connections are to be made, how to make them, and how to assess their effectiveness. It is in this regard that I believe AMS has demonstrated great success to date in bringing groups and individuals with different priorities, experiences, and strengths to the table for the “good of the order”. The balanced impact of different sectors, for example, is a mainstay of the AMS concept of operations. We rotate candidates between government, academia, and the private sector. We invite a broad set of contributors to activities like the Washington Forum. Our Annual Meeting includes scores of different symposia. But there’s so much more work to do in AMS’s role facilitating and leading the building and broadening of a coalition of concern.
To the best of my knowledge, if elected, I will be the first card-carrying oceanographer elected as President of AMS. That, by itself, is not particularly remarkable (after all, the AMS logo includes “Marine Navigation” as a mission area), but I think my candidacy is reflective of the earth systems approach that defines so well the remit and domain of the Society. My own career history, having worked in each of the sectors represented in AMS, has convinced me that there is abundant opportunity for “upping our game” in building even more collaborations. Doing so will pay off in the most evident ways (increased membership), but also in the less obvious benefits (broadened advocacy for the work of the society).
It is to this end that I believe AMS must engage in a set of initiatives, in concert with the current good work in all its activities, to build new coalitions and partnerships. Specifically, I believe there are opportunities to work with more non-profit organizations and non-governmental foundations, to help build their support for the research done consonant with AMS’s mission. I believe there are opportunities for new formal partnerships with an array of other professional societies, representing skilled technologists and practitioners in fields such as health, marine technology, emergency management, and retail business. And finally, we need to think about building more and stronger international partnerships.
The future of AMS, our resilience to the uncertainty of political agendas, market trends, and social pressures, will depend on the strength of our foundation … a foundation best fortified through our outreach and formal engagement with more and different stakeholders.
Richard (Rick) W. Spinrad is an oceanographer with more than 40 years of experience in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the 11th Administrator of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator). Dr. Spinrad was responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of the $7B agency and its over 12,000 employees, developing environmental products and services and fostering economic development.
Dr. Spinrad, an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, is the former Vice President for Research at Oregon State University (OSU), where he is currently a Professor Emeritus of Oceanography.
Dr. Spinrad served as NOAA’s Chief Scientist and he led NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Ocean Service. He co-led the White House Committee that developed the nation’s first set of ocean research priorities and developed the agency’s first Scientific Integrity policy.
As a Senior Executive at the U.S. Navy (program manager at the Office of Naval Research and senior civilian at the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy) he was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Award — the highest award given by the U.S. Navy to a civilian. He has held faculty appointments at OSU, the U.S. Naval Academy, and George Mason University; was Executive Director at the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education; was President of Sea Tech, Inc.; and worked as a research scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. He also developed the National Ocean Sciences Bowl for high school students. Dr. Spinrad served as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
He is the recipient of Presidential Rank Awards from presidents George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama. Dr. Spinrad is past president of The Oceanography Society and the Marine Technology Society. He is a Fellow of four professional societies and is a Chartered Marine Scientist.
Dr. Spinrad received his B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. at Oregon State University.
(Candidate by Petition)
This is a pivotal moment for the AMS and I am committed to ensuring our continued relevance and impact.
Our Society—and the sciences we represent—face serious challenges related to sustainability, support, and strategic direction. At the same time, we have powerful opportunities to better serve our discipline and society.
We need creative, realistic, and informed leadership. The next president must be ready to lead from day one—and that requires a deep understanding of AMS’s strengths, its challenges, and its people.
The world around us is changing, and AMS must evolve to remain strong. With reductions in federal support for environmental sciences, we face significant financial pressures. I will work to reduce meeting and conference costs, expand continuing education opportunities, and ensure members have the tools to sharpen their skills and stay connected.
We must grow our community and explore new sources of revenue. One path forward is engaging more directly with the large meteorology-interested public, using modern media platforms to foster education, dialogue, and outreach.
In the past year, concerns about the future of U.S. weather forecasting have deepened. As president, I will ensure that research and operational meteorology—including forecasting—remain a core pillar of AMS’s mission and programming. I will work to elevate public awareness of the societal value of atmospheric research.
AMS must provide national leadership on issues where we hold deep expertise. In an increasingly polarized environment, I will support the Society’s efforts to deliver balanced, nonpartisan analysis on critical meteorological and climate issues—contributions that help inform sound policy.
Finally, I will champion our student members. I propose a student mentorship program connecting students with AMS professionals, and an outreach initiative to engage K–12 students and teachers in the science we love.
AMS has been my professional home for over 20 years. I’ve served as STAC Commissioner, Secretary-Treasurer, and as a member or chair of numerous boards and committees—from Finance and Investments to Membership and Awards. As Council and Executive Committee Parliamentarian, I’ve gained a unique perspective on how AMS operates—and how it can work better for all of us.
Thank you for your support and for your commitment to AMS. Together, we can build a more engaged, more inclusive, and more impactful Society.
Bruce Telfeyan has devoted over five decades to advancing meteorology and serving the AMS with distinction. A member since 1970, he has held influential roles across the Society, including chairing the Weather Analysis and Forecasting Committee and the Board for Operational Government Meteorologists. He has also served on the Local Chapter Affairs Committee, the Board for Enterprise Planning, the Finance and Investment Committees, the Awards Oversight Committee, and the Membership Committee. From 2013 to 2019, he served as Commissioner of the Scientific and Technological Activities Commission (STAC), and recently completed a four-year term as AMS Secretary-Treasurer. In that role, he led a constitutional amendment to ratification expanding student member voting rights and volunteer opportunities—helping AMS remain inclusive and relevant in a changing world.
Bruce’s 48-year career spans operational forecasting, leadership, and innovation. After earning a master’s degree in meteorology from Cornell University, he served in key U.S. Air Force roles worldwide, including as Director of Meteorology and Oceanography for NATO forces in Turkey during the Gulf War. He retired as a lieutenant colonel and continued as a senior civilian meteorologist with the 557th Weather Wing, where he led forecasting operations and directed development of the Interactive Grid Analysis and Display System (IGrADS).
He provided critical forecasting support for global balloon flight attempts by Steve Fossett and Kevin Uliassi and is a graduate of the Air War College and other advanced professional development programs. His honors include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
Bruce and his wife Connie reside in Papillion, Nebraska. He is the proud father of two and grandfather of five.