CONTACT: Frank Lepore FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Hurricane Center 4/23/98
Jerry D. Jarrell will become the sixth director of the National Weather Service's Tropical National Hurricane Center in Miami effective April 23, Department of Commerce Secretary William M. Daley announced today.
As a major component of the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service, Tropical Prediction Center-National Hurricane Center issues watches and warnings of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and eastern Pacific.
"Jerry Jarrell is widely known and respected by national and international emergency managers and forecasters," said Commerce Sec. Daley. "His depth of experience, dedication and devotion to the communities he serves are essential to furthering our mission of saving lives and property. We are pleased that he has accepted the position as we approach the June 1st beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season."
"I look forward to leading this excellent team of dedicated professionals," said Jarrell. "I am honored to accept this role and look forward to continued interaction with the community, emergency managers and the media."
Jarrell has been acting director of the Center since September 1997, serving as deputy to then-director Bob Burpee. He joined the Hurricane Center as deputy director under Bob Sheets in 1988.
He has been active in forecasting tropical weather since serving with the U.S. Navy 1957 to 1977. He held various assignments with the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command, including Environmental Sciences Curriculum Office and assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey. He was deputy director of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Guam from 1970-72.
Jarrell has extensive private sector and government experience in forecasting. Jarrell was a senior research scientist with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Monterey, Calif., from 1977-88. He formed a start-up branch office of SAIC working on projects in marine meteorology, including tropical cyclone related studies and applications of satellite data to forecasting problems.
The new director of the National Hurricane Center earned Masters of Science degrees in meteorology and management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1967 and 1973. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Concord College, Athens, West Virginia, awarded in 1956.
Jarrell and his wife reside in south Miami-Dade County. They have five grown children.