Message from the Deputy Under Secretary

The President-Elect’s Transition Team (PETT) began meeting with NOAA representatives on November 19, 2008.  Many of NOAA’s leadership had the opportunity to meet them.  We look forward to working closely with the PETT in the coming weeks. 

The person heading the PETT effort for NOAA is Monica Medina, whom many of you may know from her previous service as NOAA’s General Counsel.  Sally Yozell is the other NOAA transition team member and will join the team in the near future.  Sally is also familiar to many of us as she served previously as NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary.

On November 24, I met with Monica, Don Beyer, the transition lead for the Department of Commerce (DOC), and David Festa, who is also on the DOC transition team.    Additionally, Monica has met with all the Assistant Administrators (AAs), Deputy AAs, Goal Team Leads and other agency leadership.  Each meeting was a "meet and greet" followed by an introductory discussion of each office's focus/issues.

The NOAA transition briefing package is available on this website along with all of our public transition planning documents.  In the coming weeks, the PETT members may request to meet with other staff and program offices and you should feel free to use any of these materials if you are called to meet with them.  If you have questions about these materials or the transition process, please contact your transition liaison.  You can find your liaison’s name and contact information on the NOAA transition web site. 

I thank everybody who has contributed to this important effort, and I encourage you to support our ongoing transition planning efforts for your office -- and all of NOAA.

Mary M. Glackin
Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere