Vogt Named NOAA Radar Operations Center Director

Richard Vogt was recently appointed director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NEXRAD Radar Operations Center in Norman, Okla. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The ROC provides centralized, life-cycle support to the national network of 166 WSR-88D NEXRAD radars located throughout the United States and selected international locations. These installations are operated by the United States Air Force, Federal Aviation Administration and NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Vogt is a meteorologist with 35 years of broad-ranging leadership experience with an emphasis in weather forecasting, radar meteorology, systems acquisition, life-cycle systems support and program management. He has served as the ROC’s deputy director since October 1993 and as acting director since May 2003. During this period, he also provided leadership for the Headquarters Air Force Weather Agency contingent at the Radar Operations Center.

“Director of NOAA's Radar Operations Center is a key position in the front line defense of our nation against the effects of severe weather,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of NOAA's National Weather Service. “Rich's new position is one of increased responsibility with oversight over Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense radar systems as well as those of the National Weather Service.”

A 25-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Vogt’s career has included executive-level experience as a colonel in a variety of key leadership positions. He has served in diverse locations throughout the United States, as well as in Korea, Japan and Germany. His military career culminated in an assignment as deputy director of weather at U.S. Air Force headquarters before his retirement from active duty in February 1993.

Vogt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education and chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1967, and a Master of Science degree in meteorology from Texas A & M University in 1972.

As ROC director, Vogt oversees a wide variety of critical support functions for the $1.2 billion NEXRAD network. The Center provides expert maintenance and operations assistance to resolve radar problems and outages via a 24-hour helpdesk and on-site maintenance. The ROC also conducts system engineering and software engineering projects to resolve system deficiencies and upgrade radar network capabilities. The center collaborates with government laboratories and universities to transition new science from research to the operational radar systems. To support these functions, the center operates extensive radar testing resources, as well as state-of-the-art configuration management and system documentation systems.

Vogt is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. In May 1995 and November 2001, he received Department of Air Force Special Act Awards.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events, and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

ROC: http://www.roc.noaa.gov