A commissioned officer for 16 years, CDR Pica’s breadth of experience and training has prepared him for his current assignment. CDR Pica has seven years of sea duty aboard four NOAA ships, serving as a Navigator, Divemaster, Emergency Medical Technician, Senior Watch Officer, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer; culminating in his current role as Commanding Officer. His shore assignments have included Chief, Officer Career Management Division; Staff Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary; Associate Director, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory; and Hydrologist, Northwest River Forecast Center.

CDR Pica is a graduate of NOAA’s Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP), during which he completed a developmental rotation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He also is the principal author of the NOAA Corps Leadership Development Framework, a document that defines for the first time how NOAA Corps officers will build their leadership competencies from ensign to admiral.

CDR Pica holds a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from Portland State University and a Bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from the University of Illinois.

CDR Pica is the eldest of nine children of Arsenio (Sam) and Ann Pica of Fairbury, Illinois.