Kelly Sworn in as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce at NOAA
Brigadier General (USAF retired) John "Jack" Kelly has been appointed as
the new Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. As
assistant administrator of NOAA's National Weather Service over the past
five years, Kelly is credited with spearheading technological and
managerial changes that have made the National Weather Service one of the
most respected agencies in the federal government. NOAA is an agency of
the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"Jack Kelly is uniquely capable of filling this position. His decades of
meteorological and management experience will be invaluable to the NOAA
team, just as they have been during his tenure as head of the National
Weather Service," said retired Navy VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher. Ph.D.,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of
NOAA, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. Lautenbacher said a search is now being conducted for a new
assistant administrator of the National Weather Service.
With 40 years of experience in all facets of the weather field, including
21 years at the senior executive level in both government and private
industry, Kelly has broad experience in leading science-based service
organizations and introducing and implementing scientific and cutting-edge
technological change. In the private sector, he directed Weather Systems
for GTE Information Systems. From 1994 to 1996, he was responsible for
GTE's weather and aviation services business line, client satisfaction and
interface, strategic planning, business development and sales, profit and
loss, and program management.
"I look forward to this challenging new position," Kelly said. "NOAA
serves America every day, touching assets that directly and indirectly
account for about $3 trillion, or one-third, of our Nation's GDP. NOAA's
outstanding leadership team has proven its foresight by improving science
and service and enhancing the careers of NOAA personnel, and I look forward
to contributing to these efforts."
Kelly retired from the Air Force in 1994 after serving for 31 years. He
retired as director of Weather Headquarters. Over his years of service and
broad-based experience at all organizational levels, Kelly's duties ranged
from roles as a counter forecaster to leading the organization that
supported all Air Force and Army operations. During a very turbulent period
in U.S. history, he ensured that forces had better equipment and that
troops made great strides in providing better support to U.S. combat units.
