DEBRA A. LINGLE RECEIVES HIGHEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOR

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NOAA Weather Service) conferred its highest honor, the Isaac M. Cline Award, to Debra A. Lingle, communications manager at the weather service’s central region headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce.

Each year the NOAA Weather Service recognizes employees for operational excellence in the delivery of products and services in support of the weather service mission. Lingle received the Cline Award as part of a four-person team in the program management and administration category for pioneering efforts in establishing an effective and efficient teleconferencing system used by weather service offices throughout the continental United States. The weather service saves $113,000 a year using the new system.

“Debra Lingle’s efforts to improve our services for the American people is a testament to her selfless dedication,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly, director of the NOAA National Weather Service.

The NOAA Weather Service and the Department of Commerce will benefit from the cost savings generated by the team’s work, Kelly noted.

The Isaac M. Cline Award is named for the man whose courage and dedication is credited with savings thousands of lives during the Galveston, Texas, hurricane of September 8, 1900. Cline was in charge of the Weather Bureau Office in Galveston when the bustling seaport city was struck by the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The death toll exceeded 8,000, but could have been much higher if not for Cline’s understanding of the weather and his initiative in warning the public.

Eight of the prestigious awards are presented each year in the following categories: meteorology; hydrometeorology; hydrology; support services; upper air observation; leadership; engineering, electronics, or facilities; and, program management and administration.

A McPherson, Kan., native, Lingle earned a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Wichita State University in 1979. After a period with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Lingle joined the systems operations division at weather service central region headquarters in Kansas City in 1992. She became communications manager for the region in 1998.

NOAA Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. NOAA Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 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

NOAA National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov