From NOAA.gov
September 14, 2010

Climate variability and change are impacting our society and the environment. Commerce, public health, natural resources and major economic sectors, such as water utilities, energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry and fisheries are highly sensitive to climate influences. To more effectively meet the rising public and private demand for climate products and services, Secretary Locke today announced the selection of six new NOAA regional climate services directors.

The new directors will work to build and strengthen regional partnerships to better assess and deliver regionally-focused climate science and information products and services to help people make informed decisions in their lives, businesses and communities. The new directors are:

• Ellen Mecray, Eastern Region, Bohemia, N.Y.
• Doug Kluck, Central Region, Kansas City, Kan.
• David Brown, Southern Region, Fort Worth, Texas
• DeWayne Cecil, Western Region, Salt Lake City, Utah
• John Marra, Pacific Region, Honolulu
• James Partain, Alaska Region, Anchorage, Alaska

“More and more, Americans are witnessing the impacts of climate change in their own backyards,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “NOAA’s Regional Climate Directors will provide critical planning information and services that our businesses and our communities need to tackle head-on the challenges of climate change.”

SOUTHERN REGION: David Brown

Prior to joining NOAA, Brown served as assistant professor of geography at Louisiana State University, and as assistant professor of geography and New Hampshire state climatologist at the University of New Hampshire. He holds doctorate and master’s degrees in geography from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Penn State University. For over a decade, he has been active in the climate services community as a researcher, state climatologist and member of three NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) projects. Most recently he was an investigator with the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program, the first RISA to co-locate and formalize research, operations and outreach linkages to both a NOAA regional climate center and a state climatologist office. His research interests include synoptic and applied climatology, human-environment interactions, and global climate change, and his work has been published in a number of scientific journals including the International Journal of Climatology, Climate Research, Journal of Geophysical Research, Geophysical Research Letters and the Professional Geographer. He is also an accomplished educator, having taught introductory, advanced and graduate courses in climatology, meteorology and physical geography at three universities.

Full Story from NOAA:  http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100914_climatedirectors.html