Five Minutes with Troy Nicolini, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Eureka, CA
Troy Nicolini is a rare Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) -- he doesn't have a meteorology background.
Nicolini has worked seven years with the NWS, mostly as a Service Hydrologist. He holds two degrees from the University of California, Davis: a B.S. degree in Computer Science, and a Masters in Civil Engineering. He started his career as a hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked there a total of nine years before joining the NWS as a Service Hydrologist in 1998. Since September 2004 he's been Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the Eureka, CA, Weather Forecast Office.
What interested you in becoming a WCM?
As a Service Hydrologist I was coordinating with the SOO and the WCM and some of my duties were comparable to a WCM's duties when it came to working with the media and conducting outreach.
I recognized that here on the west coast, while we didn't have many deaths caused by floods, we were seeing people die in recreational activities on rivers through swimming and boating, so I got involved with educating people on the dangers associated with river recreation. That spawned other outreach. I've been involved with the marine program and outreach on wave safety, and I've developed a sandbagging class to educate people on how to prepare for rising water and floods.
What did you do in your time with the Army Corps of Engineers?
I developed hydrologic and hydraulic models at the Hydrologic Engineering Center, and I also developed and delivered short courses in the field of hydrologic and hydraulic engineering.
Any surprises about your WCM job?
It's a pretty busy position to hold, with a lot of time demands. The work is not just outreach; the WCM is also completing the circle in the NWS mission. I'm educating people to take the right actions, understanding how people make decisions, and using that knowledge to help modify the way we do and communicate forecasts.
Is it harder for a non-meteorologist to serve as a WCM?
Yes and no. I really think a meteorological background helps in the WCM position, but coming to the job from the experience of an engineer and not a meteorologist, I think my diverse background helps me avoid using jargon and unfamiliar science when I'm talking to a non-scientific audience.
How have you liked working with reporters?
I'm comfortable with the local media, but surprised with the aggressiveness of the national media.
How about emergency managers?
I enjoy working with the emergency managers in our rural counties because they have great depth and breadth of knowledge of their regions. They are all life-long residents and therefore they know everything going on in their counties. They are, consequently, a tremendous resource that I rely on heavily to accomplish our mission.
Have you been working with any other NOAA line offices?
I've worked pretty closely with our local NOAA Fisheries office over the past seven years. We've co-sponsored a couple of workshops and also put on a one-day weather training course for water resources professionals. We've also collaborated on data collection efforts. This has been a really productive relationship for us because the public and private groups working on anadromous fish issues comprise one of our most important hydrologic customers. I also worked closely with NOS [NOAA's Ocean Service] during a multi-year effort to measure currents in one of our local bays
Are you working on any special projects now?
I am leading a team that is developing a high resolution ocean wave model to improve guidance in the region where 95 percent of human activity occurs – within fifteen miles from shore. I am also a subject matter expert on two COMET professional development series training modules, and I have recently joined the national Satellite Requirements and Solutions Steering Team.
Is there any ultimate career goal for you?
Either MIC or director of a research lab. I really like working with a group of talented operational folks, but I'm also addicted to pondering the future – both its challenges and innovative solutions.
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