"One NOAA" Serves State and Local Programs
Although the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was formed in 1970, the agencies that came together at that time were among the oldest in the federal government. These agencies included the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey formed in 1807, the Weather Bureau formed in 1870, and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries formed in 1871. These organizations represented America ’s first physical science agency, first agency dedicated specifically to the atmospheric sciences, and first conservation agency.
Today, NOAA is housed within the Department of Commerce and continues to focus on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. Six line offices exist within NOAA: the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Weather Service, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, and Program Planning and Integration. These organizations play several distinct roles in the Department of Commerce:
• Supplier of environmental information products
• Provider of environmental stewardship services
• Leader in applied scientific research
NOAA is a trusted source of accurate and objective scientific information about ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and transportation.
Bringing these considerable powerhouses of expertise and data to the
end user is the goal behind the One NOAA concept. "At the NOAA Coastal
Services Center, we are doing what we can to ensure that all that NOAA
has to offer is available to the coastal resource managers of this nation,"
says Margaret Davidson, director of
the Center.
To accomplish this task, the Center has established an unusual management structure for its organization. All the NOAA line offices have at least one employee who works at the Center. This helps Center staff members be fully aware of the capabilities and offerings of the other NOAA offices and makes it easier to engage all the applicable parts of NOAA when addressing local coastal resource management issues.
Furthermore, the Center has embraced a regional concept of operations, which places Center employees in the various coastal regions. This move not only helps the organization focus on products and services that are aligned with local needs and priorities, but also helps the state and local coastal programs gain easier access to NOAA services.
"Working together, through partnerships with NOAA and with the client community, is the best way to make a difference," reports Davidson.
NOAA Coastal Services
Center Regional Services
Regional Branch Chief
Bill Thomas:
Bill.Thomas@noaa.gov
Regional Coordinator
Rachel McEvers:
Rachel.McEvers@noaa.gov
West Coast Representative
Becky Smyth:
Rebecca.Smyth@noaa.gov
Great Lakes Representative
Tricia Ryan:
Tricia.Ryan@noaa.gov
Pacific Islands Representative
Bill Thomas:
Bill.Thomas@noaa.gov
Mid-Atlantic Representative
Peyton Robertson:
Peyton.Robertson@noaa.gov
Gulf of Mexico Representative
Becky Allee:
Becky.Allee@noaa.gov
New England Representative
Betsy Nicholson:
Betsy.Nicholson@noaa.gov
