MARK MCINERNEY RECEIVES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HIGHEST HONOR

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) conferred its highest honor, the Isaac M. Cline Award, to Mark McInerney, from NOAA Weather Service Office of Science and Technology’s (OST) Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) where he has served as the warning assistance lead since February 2001. McInerney was recognized for his extraordinary efforts and contributions dedicated to advancing the NOAA Weather Radio Voice Improvement Program (VIP).

Each year the NWS recognizes individuals and teams that have made significant contributions in support of NWS strategic and operational plans and in the delivery of products and services in support of the NWS mission. McInerney received the Cline Award in the Engineering category for designing and developing the VIP Application implemented for NOAA Weather Radio nationwide in 2002. These voices are more understandable and human-sounding than the previous voice, and will help NWS to deliver warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information more quickly and accurately.

“As part of its goal to improve the accessibility and availability of weather, water, and climate information to the American people, the NOAA Weather Service is committed to improving the NOAA Weather Radio voice for critical products by 2003,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly, director of the National Weather Service. “And we’ve done that and more.”

The NWS will continue updating the system as new voices and other improvements become available. NWS is also working on integrating a Spanish text to speech capability to support bilingual NWR broadcasting.

The Isaac M. Cline Award is named for the man whose courage and dedication are credited with saving thousands of lives during the Galveston, Texas, hurricane of September 8, 1900. Cline was in charge of the National Weather Service office in Galveston when the popular coastal city was struck with the deadliest natural disaster in the nation'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 early hurricane warnings.

Each year local, regional, and national Cline Award recipients are chosen in eight categories including: meteorology; hydrometeorology; engineering, electronics or facilities; hydrology; support services; program management and administration; upper air observation; and, leadership.

McInerney has a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from Central Michigan University, and a master’s degree in software engineering & distributed computing from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Mich. Prior to MDL, which is located in Silver Spring, Md., McInerney worked as an NWS field forecaster at the Portland, Oregon and Grand Rapids, Michigan weather forecast offices. In his nine years of NWS service McInerney has designed, developed, and deployed numerous meteorological software applications to assist and improve weather forecast office operations.

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.

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