From the Chair

Dear CCM Colleagues,

It has been my honor and pleasure to serve on the CCM Board for the last 4 years, and as Chair for 2019. I have found this experience to be very rewarding, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my fellow board members these last four years.

As we near the close of the centennial year of the AMS, culminating with the Annual Meeting in Boston, I would like to review with you the activities of the CCM Board this past year.

1. In addition to myself, the following board members will be rotating off the board at the close of the Annual Meeting: David Legates and Lance Steele. I personally have enjoyed working with you these last four years, and thank you for your service to this Board.

2. Three new board members will be beginning their terms at the close of the Annual Meeting: Kathryn Prociv, Sam Miller, and Julie Gaddy. We welcome you onto the board and thank you for being willing to serve!

3. Pam Knox will serve as Chair during the 2020 year, and Mark McGinnis will serve as chair-elect, moving into the Chair position in 2021. Thank you for being available and willing to take on these roles; I trust you will find the experience as rewarding as I have.

4. The AMS Executive Council approved updates to the technical report portion of the exam process. As I have discussed in earlier newsletters, the BCCM voted in favor of moving to a scenario-driven ‘consulting report’ which will replace the current ‘technical report’ portion of the CCM application process. The BCCM believes that this update to the process will clarify the requirements of the written report (now known as ‘consulting report) and more easily allow graders to evaluate the written communication skill and technical knowledge of candidates. As of January 1, 2020, candidates will no longer be required to submit a ‘technical report’ at the time of application. Instead, candidates will be given a choice of three hypothetical consulting scenarios which will be based on their areas of expertise selected in the application. Candidates will have to choose one of the three scenarios and write a consulting report according to the format and guidelines given. Candidates will still have the option to submit a report of their own choosing in lieu of completing one of the three scenarios, provided it meets the clearly outlined criteria. This process has required much deliberation and work by the Board and I cannot thank you all enough for the hours that have been spent on this task.

5. This year has also brought a record number of CCM applicants. As of the close of 2019, there were 18 new applications submitted. Thanks to the diligent and timely work by the board, completed exams which have been submitted even into the last two months of 2019 have been graded expediently with very short turnaround time. Thus, we will be conducting 14 oral exams during the Annual Meeting. In order to handle this volume, we will be conducting the exams in parallel sessions on Monday through Wednesday, with one exam scheduled on Thursday morning to accommodate the travel schedule of a holdover candidate from 2018. The board members will devote much of their time at the meeting to proctoring these oral exams, and I thank them in advance. The oral exam process is an invaluable part of the CCM application process, allowing board members to get to know the candidate and evaluate their oral communication skills, ethics, and core meteorology knowledge.

6. The CCM short course offering, “Becoming a Great CCM!” is scheduled to run on Sunday during the Annual Meeting. The ACM has graciously agreed to sponsor the lunch. We have received feedback from numerous CCMs who will populate the tables during both the morning and afternoon sessions and answer guided questions about the many disciplines in which consulting meteorologists work. There will be a lot of useful information presented, and we look forward to good enrollment. Thank you to Pam Knox for taking the lead on putting this together.

In terms of the Annual Meeting, there are so many activities and sessions going on that it will be impossible to attend everything we would like. If you are available on Wednesday morning, the Certification Breakfast will be held in Room 205C of the convention center at 7:00 AM. This required an RSVP so please contact Kelly Savoie if you did not RSVP but would still like to attend. We do hope you can join us, and the CBMs for this event. Many CCMs are presenting at or chairing sessions during the week as well; please consult the conference program for more information.

My time on the board has been a truly enjoyable experience. The opportunity to meet and learn from so many colleagues whom I may not have met otherwise is something which I very much appreciate. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season, and I wish each of you a joyous and prosperous 2020.

Alicia C. Wasula, PhD (CCM #711)

Chair, Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists

American Meteorological Society