2021 NWS La Crosse Leadership, Diversity, & Culture Conference

Alicia Davis is currently a Consumer Safety Officer for The Department of Commerce. As a Certified HACCP Auditor, she conducts audits, writes reports, and collects surveillance samples. She is assigned to perform sanitary inspections and lot inspections in Northern California with duties including inspecting seafood products for domestic and export while ensuring food is safe and sanitary to enter market trade. Alicia's greatest accomplishment moving from military to government employment has been the ability to still honors and support her fellow soldiers by providing seafood inspections for airlifts to our troops like herself!  Alicia is a decorated Gulf War veteran and she was only one of a handful of female non-commissioned officers who participated in advanced operations. She has served in CONUS and OCONUS including the Generals Dining Facility at 101st Airborne for over 7 years. Earlier this year, Alicia was selected to assist the National Sensory Training Team for the Seafood Inspection Program. This team actively trains selected seafood inspection staff to harmonize during petroleum taint disaster emergencies. Alicia has been an advocate for veterans and the disabled for many years. I am always sharing local, national, and international public awareness programs that meet the needs of the disabled and our veterans.

Alicia can be contacted at:  alicia.davis@noaa.gov

Brad is a meteorologist at the NWS Medford, Oregon office. He began his journey with Belonging Inclusion Diversity and Equity (BIDE) about 5 years ago when he agreed to be interviewed for the Western Region (WR) BIDE team’s video for LGBTQ Pride Month. From there, he wanted to increase his role in championing Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity and became a BIDE diplomat in late 2017. He has produced numerous videos and activities with a wide range of subjects. His most exciting work to date, however, has been facilitating multi-office hangouts and providing an intimate space for folks to discuss their ideas in a judgment-free environment while learning more about current issues and events. Outside of work, he is a new parent to foster twins and enjoys dancing, traveling, cooking, and meeting people from different backgrounds.  

Brad can be contacted at:  bradley.schaaf@noaa.gov

Chris Foltz has served as an Emergency Response Specialist within Central Region Headquarters since December 2014. He also serves as the Central Region Fire Weather Program Manager and liaison to FEMA 8. Prior to returning to his home state of Missouri, Chris served as an intern and journey forecaster at WFO Goodland, KS, and the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at WFO Great Falls, MT. Away from work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and 11-year-old son. He also enjoys photography, fishing, and chasing a little white ball from one side of the golf course to the other. 

Chris can be contacted at: christopher.foltz@noaa.gov

Chris Gitro is currently the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the Duluth, MN Weather Forecast Office where he's held this position since September 2019. Prior to Duluth, Chris had stops at the Pleasant Hill, MO office where he served as a Lead Forecaster, the Binghamton, NY and Midland, TX offices as a General Forecaster, and the Chicago/Romeoville, IL office as an Intern. In addition to his National Weather Service career, Chris also completed a 20-year career with the Air National Guard as a weather officer. Chris and his wife are parents to two wonderful boys, two cats, and a new COVID puppy the family decided to rescue. 

Chris can be contacted at: christopher.gitro@noaa.gov

Dan Gregoria is a Lead Forecaster at WFO San Diego. Dan has been a champion for diversity and inclusion, having served almost 2 years on the WR BIDE team as a Diversity Diplomat, promoting diversity and inclusion across Western Region. Most recently, he led the first "NWS Southwest Diversity and Inclusion Workshop", gathering the southwest WFOs together virtually to learn and discuss all things BIDE-related.

Dan can be contacted at: dan.gregoria@noaa.gov

Dave Skogen has been in the grocery business for over six decades. Growing up, he was an athlete and had visions of one day being a coach. Today, he coaches and teaches in a supermarket instead of an athletic field.  In 1990, the first Festival Foods store opened. The Skogen family currently operates 30+ Festival Foods stores and has over 7,000 employees throughout Wisconsin.

Dave was previously named ‘Wisconsin Grocer of the Year’ and ‘National IGA Retailer of the Year’.  Dave and his wife, Barb, were named ‘Outstanding Philanthropists’ in 2007 for their community involvement, awarded by the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Upper Mississippi Valley Chapter.

Dave and Barb also received the 2017 People of the Year award from the La Crosse Tribune for their impact in the La Crosse area, especially their recent development of downtown Onalaska, along with their initiative to provide local schools with a whole-child servant leadership curriculum, CharacterStrong, which has now been adopted by over 20 local schools.

Dave and Barb have been married for over 50 years. They have two children – Sue and Mark, who is the President and CEO of the company. They are the grandparents of four lovely grandchildren.

In 2013, Dave wrote a book called Boomerang! Leadership Principles that Bring the Customer Back, which is sold online, and at all Festival Foods locations.

Dave can be contacted at: DSkogen@festfoods.com

Earl is a former active duty Marine that saw firsthand how diverse teams achieve better results. For the last 25 years, he has been a coach and mentor that has focused on the inseparable bond between good leadership, diverse teams, and outstanding results. He has spent the last few years traveling with Pete Hill, director of EODMD, sharing that message across the National Weather Service.

Earl can be contacted at: earl.breon@noaa.gov

Ed Shimon has over 25 years of experience in National Weather Service (NWS) forecasting and operations, encompassing operational and management positions. I have been on the forefront of leadership, innovation, and service to key NWS partners, colleagues, and the public.  Ed is currently a lead forecaster and Assistant Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Lincoln, IL.  He was on the FY19-21 team and continues with the culture team working on the new roadmap. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1990.

Ed can be contacted at: edward.shimon@noaa.gov

My educational background includes BA’s in Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy, an MS in Instructional Design, and Ph.D. in Transformative studies. My academic interests lie in the intersectionality of complexity science, action research, and instructional design. Also, I published my dissertation The Broadening of Leadership Development Science through Complexity Science and Action Research as open access. So, feel to look it up. It has been a blast meeting new people, trading instructional design tips, and supporting you all. Thank you. 

Hattie can be contacted at: Hattie.Wiley@noaa.gov

Jennifer Ritterling is a Lead Meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks, ND. After starting her career in the Dodge City, KS office in 2002, she decided to gain some more experience with blizzards and rivers that actually have water, so moved to the Northern Plains in 2010. She spent much of 2020 participating in the third iteration of the NWS Culture Team, which was the bright spot in a pandemic year.

Jennifer can be contacted at: jennifer.ritterling@noaa.gov

Jerilyn joined the National Weather Service in December of 2007 in Wichita, KS after completing her Master’s degree from North Carolina State University. After advancing to become a General Forecaster in Wichita, Jerilyn moved to Hastings, NE to become a Lead Meteorologist.  She has always had a passion for teaching and coaching others and being directly involved in the Science and Services programs within the NWS.  In March of this year, she was chosen as the Science and Operations Officer (SOO) in Hastings, NE.  She has long since been involved in leadership and diversity teams and she was a member of the NRAP Organizational Culture Team in 2020.  While getting her feet wet with navigating the SOO Program over the past few months, she is energized to help make positive changes for the organization of the NWS, but more importantly the people of the NWS.

Jerilyn can be contacted at:  jerilyn.billings@noaa.gov

Jessica Brooks is the Service Hydrologist at the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities IA/IL. She grew up on a farm in rural northeast South Dakota and received her Bachelor's Degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. She has worked in the NWS as a SCEP in the Aberdeen, SD, and Rapid City, SD offices and after graduating has held meteorologist positions at the NWS offices in La Crosse, WI, and North Platte, NE prior to coming to the Quad Cities. She has a strong background in working with people across the National Weather Service and with partners on many levels, which has provided unique perspectives in leadership styles and increased her passion for being a student of leadership.
 
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 4 kids, and dog, being outdoors, music, being a sensory evaluator of adult beverages, and enjoying a good book.

Jessica can be contacted at:  jessica.brooks@noaa.gov

Jim Lee was born and raised in Iowa City Iowa. His passion for science and weather led him to the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Master's Degree in Meteorology. From there Jim entered the NWS at the forecast office in Key West, FL, later transferring to the office in Des Moines, IA where he has served since 2008. Jim is also the Central Region chairperson for the NWSEO, a CR LEAD program graduate, and has been involved in the CR Roadmap initiative since its inception. In his personal life, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities, travel, and sports.

Jim can be contacted at:  jim.w.lee@noaa.gov

Justin is originally from rural southeast Iowa. He aspired to become a meteorologist ever since he was four years old. After graduating high school, Justin earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from Iowa State University. After graduate school, Justin's first location of employment was at the National Weather Service Training Center in Kansas City, Missouri. After a few years, Justin was hired into the National Weather Service forecast office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From there, he moved to the forecast office in Duluth, Minnesota, where he has been a meteorologist since November 2016.

Justin can be contacted at: justin.schultz@noaa.gov

Karleisa started her NWS career in Eureka, as an intern. She got involved with local diversity and leadership activities there, which led to her applying for the WR DAC diplomat position and the LIFT program when they became available. She was selected for both opportunities, which only amplified her love for the topics. Shortly after that, Karleisa got promoted to to journey forecaster at Sacramento. She continued to be involved with leadership and diversity at her local office while serving on the WR team. Eventually Karleisa would become the WR BIDE vice chair, which allowed her to work even more on diversity related projects. This would ultimately short lived though as she recently received a promotion to lead meteorologist at the Tallahassee office. She hopes to continue working on diversity and leadership there and in SR. 

Karleisa can be contacted at: karleisa.rogacheski@noaa.gov

My fascination with weather began as I grew up in eastern South Dakota, watching thunderstorms. After deciding I wanted to warn the public about severe weather as an NWS meteorologist, I attended South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for my bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences. Since then, I’ve worked in all three South Dakota offices. I’m currently a meteorologist at the Rapid City office, where I get to cultivate my interest in psychology as the leader of our office Leadership/Culture Team. When I’m not working, I’m helping my husband, Jason, with home improvement projects. We have two cats, Cozmo and Izzy. I also enjoy yoga, playing the piano, and traveling.

Katie can be contacted at: katie.pojorlie@noaa.gov

Kenneth Walker is Chair of NOAA Pride, an LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. Kenneth is a Program Analyst with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management in Silver Spring, MD. He has been in NOS for 27 years.

Kenneth manages a portfolio of Digital Coastal resilience and risk communication tools, resources, and case studies that support local resilience planning efforts. Kenneth worked on post-disaster recovery planning in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and in New York after Superstorm Sandy.

Kenneth is a member of the NOAA Diversity and Inclusion Management Council, the NOS EEO and Diversity Advisory Council, and the OCM People’s Committee. In 2017, Kenneth initiated an annual OCM LGBTQ+ Pride event.

Kenneth holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelors of City Planning from the University of Virginia.

Kenneth can be contacted at: kenneth.walker@noaa.gov

Klint Skelly is a general forecaster at the NWS in Pueblo, Colorado. He graduated with his undergraduate in Atmospheric and Hydrologic Sciences from St. Cloud State University. He then graduated from Plymouth State University with a Masters degree in Applied Meteorology. He briefly worked at the NCF in 2016, but then quickly started as an Intern Meteorologist at the NWS in Pueblo, Colorado in late 2016. Klint is the Culture focal point in Pueblo and he and the Culture Team are working on making meaningful strides in improving local and regional culture.

Klint can be contacted at: klint.skelly@noaa.gov

Born and raised in Madison, WI, Kurt Kotenberg is honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to return home to the Badger State, where he has served as the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS office in Green Bay since September of 2020. 

Kurt has always had a strong passion for leadership and continual growth- both professionally and personally. He acted on this passion and earned his Master’s of Business Administration Degree from Iowa State University in 2015, while working as a forecaster at the NWS office In Des Moines, IA. 

When he is not busy cheering on the eventual 2021-22 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers or the World Series Champion Milwaukee Brewers, Kurt spends his time exploring the outdoors of northeastern Wisconsin with his family and battling the formidable foe that is COVID comfort food to get back into competitive volleyball shape.

Kurt can be contacted at: kurt.kotenberg@noaa.gov

Linda is a Lead Forecaster at NWS WFO Duluth, Minnesota.  She has been in leadership roles for the last 20-plus years, building experience in leadership, coaching, and mentoring.  Having worked at numerous different Weather Service offices, she brings varied experiences and perspectives on the culture of National Weather Service field offices.  She has a passion for building diversity and inclusion, and the improvements it brings to leadership. 

Linda can be contacted at: Linda.Engebretson@noaa.gov

Maria Krug, a Communication Specialist with NOAA’s Office of Human Capital Services and a 43-year Federal employee, is a strong advocate for Diversity, EEO, and Inclusion initiatives and has been active in diversity advocacy since the beginning of her career.  She took exception when a reporter from CBS News negatively portrayed a mentally challenged employee as part of a 60 Minutes broadcast and rose to his defense.  She was cited by the Commissioner for Social Security and featured in a national Federal magazine.   Maria became a Diversity Liaison when she arrived at NOAA’s Administrative Services Division in 1999.  She was the author of the Diversity Manager’s and Employee’s Code of Ethics.  When she became a member of NOAA’s former Diversity Office, Maria became a Certified Diversity Change Agent.  She moved on to become NOAA’s Commerce Learning Center System Administrator where she evaluated all Diversity training in the CLC.  Her work brought her to the attention of the NOAA Civil Rights Office and the National Weather Service, who requested that she serve on the National Weather Service Diversity Curriculum Implementation Committee.  This Committee evaluated, designed, marketed, and implemented a comprehensive online Diversity Management curriculum for all NWS employees, for which the Committee won a Bronze Medal Award in 2012.  

In 2018, Maria joined in the dialog, “Exposing Bias: Race and Racism in America,” later published by Harvard University’s Extension School, depicting her poignant experiences with race as a child and how she grew in knowledge and was inspired, in particular, by an NOAA employee. Maria received the following accolade from Harvard, “You are an amazing person.  If we all could drop our biases learned from biased people, we could learn to love and respect others even if we are different.  I hope that many people read your response and are empowered to change.”  Maria has also been selected to serve as a representative on the 2019 NOAA Employee Resource Group for Aging and will serve for a period of 2 years.  Maria also continues her work with the NWS Diversity Training Team in 2019.

Maria can be contacted at: Maria.C.Krug@noaa.gov

Mary-Beth started her NWS career in La Crosse, WI in 2002, then moved to Wichita, KS as a forecaster. In 2010, she moved to Anchorage, AK to fulfill a lifelong dream of living and working in Alaska. While she moved there as a weather forecaster, she took advantage of an opportunity to transfer into the Sea Ice Program, a unique program within the NWS, in 2014. She now leads the program, analyzing satellite imagery to make maps detailing sea ice concentration and thickness, forecasting sea ice movement and growth/melt, and providing Decision Support Services to the USCG, Alaskans in coastal communities, Bering Sea crab boat captains, and others. She was even featured on the TV show Deadliest Catch in 2020! In recent years she has become committed to supporting the "people side" of the NWS, as part of the NRAP Organizational Culture Team and through various other opportunities at the local, regional, and national level. She is also the vice-chair of the Alaska Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and EEO (BIDE) Team and co-leader of her local office Culture Team.

Mary-Beth can be contacted at: marybeth.schreck@noaa.gov

Masha Hoy is a hydrologist at the North Central River Forecast Center, based in Minnesota. Before joining the National Weather Service last year, she worked in watershed management and water resources regulation. Her career got started in research, where her projects ranged from riparian plant ecophysiology to water quality and nutrient management, to stream geomorphology. Masha holds a B.S. degree in Geology and an M.S. degree in Hydrology and Watershed Management.

Masha can be contacted at: masha.hoy@noaa.gov

On Christmas morning, Michelle woke up with excitement and nerves anticipating what waited for her downstairs under the tree. With everything she asked Santa Claus to bring, there was one thing, in particular, she felt she needed more than her next breath. Carefully, she ripped off the wrapping paper to one special gift revealing exactly what she wanted, a chemistry set. With Michelle’s love and fascination for science, everything else was forgotten. She got to work and went through the set very quickly. Smiles and laughter filled the Hawkins household, and just like that Michelle’s future took shape.

Dr. Michelle Hawkins grew up in Chicago where she discovered her love of science. Although she had supportive parents and was afforded the opportunity to participate in many extracurricular activities during the school year as well as summer programs that specialized in STEM activities, it wasn’t easy. “I have always been interested in science, even at a really young age,” she said. However, Dr. Hawkins remembers that accessing STEM-related programs was difficult. Many weren't offered or even advertised in her neighborhood, and her parents had to rely heavily on word of mouth.

After graduating from high school, Dr. Hawkins then moved to Washington D.C., where she majored in chemistry at Howard University and participated in an undergraduate program focused on terrestrial and extraterrestrial atmospheres sponsored by NASA. Dr. Hawkins was always mesmerized by the severe storms and winter weather that passed through Chicago. The NASA program solidified her trajectory to meteorology. Later, she entered the doctoral program at her alma mater and obtained her doctorate in atmospheric sciences. Howard University produces the largest number of black STEM Ph.Ds. in the world.  

Within her nine years at the National Weather Service, Dr. Hawkins has had many prominent positions; all helping her expand knowledge of other STEM-related fields and the intersection of science and policy. She completed a detail at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration headquarters, where she worked closely with representatives on Capitol Hill. She also detailed as the Acting Executive Officer in the Analyze, Forecast, and Support office, allowing her to see how the agency is run from a business perspective.

Today, Dr. Hawkins is Chief of the Severe, Fire, Public, and Winter Weather Services Branch.  She provides programmatic leadership for the nation’s severe, public, and winter weather services, as well as weather-support response services for wildland fires in support of NWS land management partners. Dr. Hawkins also works with health partners such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance our understanding of weather-related impacts on human health. “I feel like a kid in a candy store here in the National Weather Service,” Dr. Hawkins explains. “There is always an exciting science problem to solve and as someone who has always loved the weather, this is the place you want to be.”

As one of few women who holds a prominent position within the National Weather Service, it hasn’t been easy for Hawkins. She explains her time matriculating through the agency as challenging, “You look around and you don’t see many women, especially in leadership positions,” she added. “It’s difficult to navigate through an organization when you don’t have many other women to learn from and to look up to. When I came back to work as a nursing mom, advice and lessons learned from women colleagues helped sustain my career when I felt I was at my weakest.”

Dr. Hawkins is a true advocate for women in STEM. Not only does she provide information to friends who have daughters, but she also speaks to high school students about her experiences at NWS. She’s come a long way from being the little girl opening her chemistry set on Christmas morning.  With her drive and passion, Dr. Hawkins continues to be a beacon for other women working in the National Weather Service and those who want to work there in the future.

Michelle can be contacted at:  michelle.hawkins@noaa.gov

Mindy has been the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Indianapolis CWSU since January 2020. She also serves as the lead of the Central Region Workgroup Lead for Everyone. Mindy began her career in the NWS as an Intern at NWS Hanford, CA in 2001 and moved to Aberdeen, SD as a General Meteorologist in 2002. She transferred to the NWS Des Moines, IA office in 2007, and was promoted to Senior Meteorologist in 2015. Originally from Fargo, ND Mindy enjoys living in the midwest and trying to stay near family. She has a husband, Dave, 7 yr old daughter, Lila, and 4 yr old toy poodle, Cinnamon. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, biking, and checking out local parks and swimming pools with Lila.

Mindy can be contacted at:  melinda.beerends@noaa.gov

Nhan Dang is an ASA for the NCRFC and I come from a very large family that loves cooking and catering for large events.  I did not inherit those skills but I inherited the love of cooking and sharing food.  I am a firm believer that food bonds and connects people from all cultures.  Before Covid, I held cooking and tasting sessions for a small fee and all proceeds went to specific sponsored charities but Covid put a stop to that.  I'm hoping that everyone will enjoy the recipe that I am sharing.

Nhan can be contacted at:  nhan.dang@noaa.gov

Scott has over 25 years of supervisory experience in the federal and private sectors. He currently serves as the Chief Program Officer for the NWS Central Region Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. His responsibilities include overseeing the regional Annual Operating Plan; Roadmap development, and Organizational Health and Development. 

Prior positions include serving as the Chief Learning Officer for NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), leading the National Weather Service Leadership Academy, program management in the private sector, and a broad operational and scientific career in the US Navy. 

In his capacity overseeing Organizational Health and Development, Scott uses his skills developed as part of the Federal Coaching Network and holds certifications in facilitating: 

• the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventories, 
• the Center for Creative Leadership 360° Benchmark Assessment Suite, and 
• several other tools for developing high-performing organizations. 

His formal education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, a Master’s degree in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame.

Scott can be contacted at:  scott.tessmer@noaa.gov

Shawn DeVinny is currently a Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support Forecaster at the North Central River Forecast Center. Shawn joined the NCRFC team late in 2019 after working as a Meteorologist at the Twin Cities WFO for the previous 9 years. Shawn double majored in Meteorology & Hydrology at St. Cloud State University. Shawn grew up primarily in the Twin Cities, but included moves to Indianapolis and southern Wisconsin. Shawn is a co-culture focal point at NCRFC and is a current student in the CR LEAD program.

Shawn can be contacted at: shawn.devinny@noaa.gov

Dr. Stephen Bieda is the Science & Operations Officer at the National Weather Service Amarillo, TX office, where he leads science, research, and operations for the office.  In addition to this role, he is the Lead Strategic Planner for the NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Chair of the Department of Commerce's New Initiatives & Competencies Committee.  Dr. Bieda is an active member of the American Meteorological Society, where he serves as the Chair of the AMS Board for Operational Government Meteorologists and the Vice-Chair of the AMS Weather Analysis and Forecasting Committee.  Dr. Bieda has specialized in work related to severe convective meteorology, fire weather, CAMs NWP, climate & training, with authorship of a few publications and numerous presentations.  He is a proud father of two (a boy and a girl) and holds a 3rd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, with his hobbies including photography, reading, and hiking.

Steven can be contacted at: stephen.bieda@noaa.gov

Terry Simmons, observing program manager, is the EEO/Diversity focal point at WFO Quad Cities (DVN) and a member of the DVN Leadership Development team. Terry’s interest in life-long learning began when she climbed her first tree to get a closer look at the clouds. Terry says learning is a journey - the path is not always clear, and those side roads detours may be as enriching as the planned route. Some of Terry’s detours include experiencing thunder-snow from the top of an air traffic control tower, going underground to learn about the inner workings of a Bureau of Reclamation dam, and working within a community of engineers and scientists supporting STEM activities. Terry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Metropolitan State University of Denver, a Master of Science degree in Quality Assurance from California State University, and a Ph.D. in Applied Management & Decision Science from Walden University.

Terry can be contacted at: terry.simmons@noaa.gov

My name is Timothy Gunkel and I have worked at the WFO Quad Cities for a little over a year now. At KDVN, I have recently become our StormReady Team focal point and I am also actively involved with the Leadership, Storm Data, and Hydro Teams. My hometown is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I am 25 years old. Prior to my time here, I was a Pathways Student at both KUNR and KOAX, while I finished up my second year of graduate school at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL). At UNL, I studied polarimetric radar signatures observed in supercell thunderstorms and how these signatures differed between environments. From there I narrowed down the microphysical significance of these differences and discussed what implications these findings can have on a supercell. With that said, radar is definitely one of my specialties and I cannot wait to get on the warning desk this summer, since I have recently finished up RAC.

Timothy can be contacted at: timothy.j.gunkel@noaa.gov

Tim Troutman is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Riverton, Wyoming. Previously, Tim served as the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Morristown, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama offices with nearly 14 years of total WCM experience. Primary duties include supervision of the severe weather warning and preparedness program and the climate and weather outreach program for the National Weather Service office. Tim has also served as the NOAA Weather Radio and Dissemination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service, Southern Region headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas from 2000 to 2002, previously as a lead forecaster at the NWS office in Melbourne, Florida from 1998 to 2000, as a forecaster at NWS Nashville, Tennessee, from 1994 to 1998 and he began his career at the Weather Service office in Evansville, Indiana in 1989.

Tim has a Masters's Degree in Hydrometeorology from Western Kentucky University and also a Bachelors's Degree in Broadcast Communications, has three boys and wife, Andrea.

Tim can be contacted at: tim.troutman@noaa.gov

Tom Thibodeau grew up in Wisconsin Rapids where he was the oldest of six.  He moved to La Crosse in January 1976 to work at St. Michael's Home for Children.  He stayed until the home closed in 1982, then taught religious education at an area church and worked with the local Upward Bound program before starting at Viterbo in 1983.

Tom currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University.  He is the founder of the Master’s program in Servant Leadership at Viterbo University.  This is the only master’s degree of its kind in the nation.  His students describe his classes as life-changing.

Tom lives by what he calls the 11th commandment - thou shalt not stand idly by. Besides being a popular professor, he is known for his numerous community efforts, which include helping found the Place of Grace, and for his public speaking talent. Place of Grace Catholic Worker House is a free meal site and drop-in center near the Viterbo campus.

Sue Sieger, one of his former students and general manager of Benefits Design Group Inc. in Onalaska, said that. "If Tom said he was going to give a talk on cardboard boxes, there would be people lined up to hear him talk.  He's one of those people, you can be in a group, a crowd, and when he talks to you or you talk to him, everyone else disappears."

Outside of work,  Tom enjoys cooking, sharing meals with friends, and being on his houseboat. And he loves stories, whether from a book or an e-mail from one of his three daughters.

Tom can be contacted at: tathibodeau@viterbo.edu