VOGT NAMED NOAA RADAR OPERATIONS CENTER DIRECTOR
Richard Vogt was recently appointed director
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NEXRAD Radar
Operations Center (ROC) in
Norman, Okla. NOAA is an agency of the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
The ROC provides centralized, life-cycle
support to the national network of 166 WSR-88D NEXRAD radars located throughout
the United States and selected international locations. These installations are
operated by the United States Air Force, Federal Aviation Administration and
NOAA’s National Weather Service.
Vogt is a meteorologist with 35 years of
broad-ranging leadership experience with an emphasis in weather forecasting,
radar meteorology, systems acquisition, life-cycle systems support and program
management. He has served as the ROC’s
deputy director since October 1993 and as acting director since May 2003.
During this period, he also provided leadership for the Headquarters Air Force
Weather Agency (AFWA) contingent at the Radar Operations Center.
“Director of NOAA's Radar Operations Center
is a key position in the front line defense of our nation against the effects
of severe weather,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson,
director of NOAA's National Weather Service. “Rich's new position is one of
increased responsibility with oversight over Federal Aviation Administration
and Department of Defense radar systems as well as those of the National
Weather Service.”
A 25-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force,
Vogt’s career has included executive-level experience as a colonel in a variety
of key leadership positions. He has served in diverse locations throughout the
United States, as well as in Korea, Japan and Germany. His military career
culminated in an assignment as deputy director of weather at U.S. Air Force
headquarters before his retirement from active duty in February 1993.
Vogt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
education and chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1967,
and a Master of Science degree in meteorology from Texas A & M University
in 1972.
As ROC director, Vogt oversees a wide variety
of critical support functions for the $1.2 billion NEXRAD network. The Center
provides expert maintenance and operations assistance to resolve radar problems
and outages via a 24-hour helpdesk and on-site maintenance. The ROC also
conducts system engineering and software engineering projects to resolve system
deficiencies and upgrade radar network capabilities. The center collaborates
with government laboratories and universities to transition new science from
research to the operational radar systems. To support these functions, the
center operates extensive radar testing resources, as well as state-of-the-art
configuration management and system documentation systems.
Vogt is a member of the American
Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. In May 1995 and
November 2001, he received Department of Air Force Special Act Awards.
The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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.