Congressional Keynote Presentation - Rep. Brian Babin, R-TX-36
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
Session Chair: Matt Borgia

Session 1.a: Agency Discussions - Capturing our Agencies
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
Panelists: Chris Ekstrom, U.S. Navy, Deputy Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy; Dorothy Koch, Department of Energy, Office of Science Associate Director of Science for Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Karen St. Germain, NASA, Science Mission Directorate, Division Director of the Earth Science Division; Astrid Suarez, U.S. Air Force, Chief Scientist for Weather

Session 2: Fire Weather, Technology and Risk: State of the Science and Opportunities
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
 As wildfires become increasingly devastating and fire impacts expand geographically across North America and the globe, a growing coalition of actors is urgently collaborating to protect vulnerable communities and infrastructure. Simultaneously, the fire science community must navigate the complex cascading effects of these fires while facing mounting external threats to essential scientific tools and funding affecting our research enterprises at large. In response, this interdisciplinary panel unites scientists, private-sector innovators, and government officials to explore the state of fire weather science, actionable mitigation strategies, and critical cross-sector collaborative opportunities for their industries, NOAA, and other agencies.
Session Chair: Brian D'Agostino
Moderator: Alexandra Grayson
Panelists:  Tim Brown, Joseph Wilkins, Harrison Zeff, Pete Lahm, Dahlia Sokolov  

Session 3: Panel Discussion - National Weather Safety Board Act legislation (HR 7848)
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
Panel analysis and dialogue regarding the HR 7848 legislation.
This session will highlight the March 2026 introduction of the National Weather Safety Board Act, introduced by Congressman Eric Sorensen, who will be preceed this session as a keynote. Panelists will discuss the merits of the bill, the likely and perceived benefits and concerns, and steps that could be taken to improve the content of the bill and support across Congress toward ultimately becoming law.

Session Chairs: Doug Hilderbrand/Matt Borgia; Moderator: Doug Hilderbrand
Panelists: Alan Gerard, Balanced Weather LLC and retired NWS; Kim Klockow, UCAR;  Ashley Morris, EM Coordinator in Gillespie County, TX

Session 5: Extreme heat/health science and services: state of the art, challenges and next steps
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
 Each year, extreme heat ranks among the leading causes of weather-related deaths. Addressing the effects of this growing threat necessitates a multi-disciplinary, enterprise-wide strategy. This session features a panel of experts who will examine the health consequences of extreme heat, identify the meteorological data essential for hazard mitigation, and outline current research and coordination initiatives aimed at strengthening heat information and preparedness in the U.S
Session Chair/Moderator: Annarita Mariotti
Panelists:  Ambarish (Rish) Vaidyanathan (CDC — Remote), Nate Matthews-Trigg (Americares), Roisin Commane (Columbia University), Jessica Lee (NOAA/NWS), Ping Liu (Stony Brook University), Morgan Zabow (NOAA/NIHHIS), Eugene Livar (Arizona Dept. of Health Services) 

Session 7:  Panel: AI Ethics & Policy in the Weather, Water and Climate Enterprise
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
AI is rapidly reshaping scientific advancements, communication, and decision-making across the weather, water, and climate enterprise. As AI/ML capabilities accelerate, the science community faces urgent questions about transparency, evaluation, accountability, and responsible deployment of these tools. This panel will explore what types of ethical considerations, practical policies, and human expertise are needed to help ensure AI/ML is used in ways that maintain high levels of accuracy, trust, and public value in the weather, water, and climate enterprise in this ever-growing AI-dominated world.

Session Chairs: Sue Haupt, Miranda White and Ann Bostrom
Moderator: Sue Haupt
Panelists:  Steve Lack (AF, likely in person), Daniel Rothenberg (Brightband, in person), Monica Youngman (NWS, Virtual), Amy McGovern (OU, virtual), Matt Corey (Microsoft, virtual) 

Session 8: Confidence in data through collaboration and community building
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
This session explores how collaboration and community building strengthen confidence in data by advancing best management practices that elevate the delivery and standards of environmental products. Participants will identify concrete opportunities for cross-sector collaboration—bridging government, private industry, and academia—to co-develop interoperable standards, share infrastructure, and align incentives. We will also examine how emerging technologies are reshaping organizational missions and how intentional refinement today—through governance, QA/QC, and continuous feedback—translates into more reliable, impactful outcomes tomorrow.

Session Chair: COEIS/Kar'retta Venable-Davis
Moderators: Kar'retta Venable-Davis/David Mulholland
Panelists:  Ellen Mecray, Aeolus Climate Strategies(Likey In-person); Douglas Schuster(In-person), UCAR; Joel Scott, NASA (In-Person); Stephen C. Diggs (Likely In-person), New York Climate Exchange; Jamese Sims

Session 9: Closing the information gap with AI
(Modified Chatham House Rule)
AI is being used widely to make weather forecasts better/faster/cheaper, but it's well documented that the "last mile", ensuring that citizens follow the right course of action, is an issue where we still need to improve. Can AI help close the gap? This panel will discuss emerging technologies and barriers to implementing AI for this purpose.

Session Chair: Erica Grow Cei
Panelists:  Nicole Grams, Esri; Dr. Kelly Kryc, Mitre; Mike Coyne, NWS; Kristin Calhoun, NSSL; Lee Huffman, Vaisala Xweather