From the Chair

Dear CCM Colleagues,

It has been a distinct privilege to serve for the past three years on the BCCM, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chair of this board for 2019. I look forward to working with Pam Knox, chair-elect for 2019, and the entire CCM Board during this upcoming year. I would like to thank the 2018 Chair, Tim Hall, for his leadership and the BCCM for all of their hard work in 2018. This year promises to be another exciting and dynamic year as we approach the AMS Centennial Celebration in 2020 as the Society both celebrates its past and casts vision for the future.

As you know, the primary mission of the BCCM is to evaluate applications of candidates and make recommendations for certification to the AMS Commissioner of Professional Affairs. This past January, there were six oral exams conducted during the AMS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Of those candidates, five individuals were recommended for certification by the BCCM. The annual Certification Breakfast was again well attended by both CCMs and CBMs who were in attendance at the meeting. We are expecting this event to be extremely well attended in 2020 as the 48th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology will also be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

As we begin 2019, the CCM Board will use the forward momentum generated by the very successful Written Exam Overhaul project as a launch pad to continue sharpening up the process by which candidates are evaluated. The process, as it always has been, must be rigorous enough to ensure candidates meet the high standards of character, ethics, and experience that define a CCM. However, recognizing that there is a broad array of fields in which CCMs work, the process must be flexible enough to evaluate candidates within their respective fields. Thus, the BCCM will be conducting a thorough review and update to the technical report portion of the exam process during 2019. The BCCM recognizes that, depending on a candidate’s area of expertise and work environment, a technical report may look very different from one candidate to the next. A candidate’s technical report may effectively demonstrate the candidate’s technical analysis and written communication skills, but not fully meet each of the criteria outlined in the guidelines. Further, many candidates, and CCMs, work in environments where research is conducted in groups, and thus it may be challenging for a potential candidate to find a sample of their work that meets the "principal author" requirements outlined in the guidelines. A lively and productive discussion was held at the Board Meeting in January 2019, and the BCCM will continue to work through this challenging process to ensure that the technical report requirement allows the BCCM to evaluate a broad range of candidates.

The BCCM will also be conducting a review of the slide show that is currently used to evaluate the "core meteorological knowledge" and oral communication skills of candidates during the oral exam. Although CCMs practice in a wide range of fields and have varied areas of expertise, it is agreed that there is a set of basic "core knowledge" principles that every meteorologist should know. We will be reviewing the slide show to ensure that the questions asked during the oral exam reflect that baseline level of knowledge and do not require a candidate to answer questions that may be outside of their area of expertise.

One of the primary tasks assigned to the BCCM is the adjudication of the Henry T. Harrison Award for achievement by a consulting meteorologist. The award "was established to recognize a consulting meteorologist for outstanding contributions to the profession, clients, and society. Nominees should demonstrate expertise in weather or climate and their applications, adherence to ethical behavior, and a high level of service to clients and/or the weather and climate enterprise." Nominations are due to the AMS by May 1. Please consider nominating a fellow CCM for this honor.

As the AMS begins its second century, the Society is focused on strengthening its value proposition to its members. One key aspect of this vision is providing support for members through all phases of their careers, from their student years through retirement. The AMS is currently exploring a variety of ways to enhance knowledge and opportunities through experiential learning and building professional networks. The certification programs offered by the AMS are highly integrated with this vision for the future. Both the CCM and the CBM designations represent high levels of professional achievement within the meteorological community. As the AMS looks to facilitate opportunities for networking and mentorships within the broader community, the BCCM will be evaluating the current platforms by which CCMs communicate (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) and determine if there are other ways by which we might connect to each other and the larger community. One aspect of the AMS vision in its second century is to facilitate mentorships between its members. The mentor/mentee relationship may look very different depending on the needs of the individuals involved, ranging anywhere from a formal, objective-defined mentorship to a very informal exchange of emails to exchange ideas and answer questions. As CCMs, we have the ability to serve as mentors to potential CCM candidates, but sometimes it can be difficult for a potential candidate to connect with a current CCM in their field if they don’t already have a personal connection. Thus, as the AMS looks to facilitate mentor/mentee relationships, we will be specifically considering how this vision may help to enhance the CCM process for potential candidates.

Finally, the BCCM will be sponsoring a Short Course at the 2020 Annual Meeting entitled "Becoming a Great CCM!" The content and agenda will be structured to attract both current CCMs who may be looking to hone some of their business management or professional skills, as well as potential CCMs who would like to know more about the business aspect of consulting and what practicing CCMs do within their respective areas of expertise. We will be looking for volunteers to represent many types of CCM work, so if you plan to be in attendance at the Annual Meeting and would like to volunteer at the Short Course, please contact Pam Knox.

Please feel free to contact me with any comments, questions, or concerns at alicia.wasula@shadetreemeteorology.com. As a reminder, if you are interested in being considered for a Board position in the future, please contact either me or the chair-elect, Pam Knox. I look forward to working with you in 2019!

Alicia C. Wasula, PhD (CCM #711)

Chair, Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists

American Meteorological Society