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Ousted Hurricane Chief Returns

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By ANGELA K. BROWN, The Associated Press

Published: September 11, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas - The ousted National Hurricane Center director is returning to lead the National Weather Service's southern region, federal officials announced Monday.
Bill Proenza will be director of the National Weather Service's Fort Worth-based office starting Sept. 23. That is the same job he left last year to oversee Miami's National Hurricane Center, one of meteorology's most highly visible posts.

He was placed on leave in July after almost half his staff signed a statement urging his dismissal. They said he exaggerated his criticisms of an aging weather satellite, undermining public confidence in the center's ability to forecast storms.

A report by a U.S. Department of Commerce team brought in to investigate said a negative atmosphere and lack of trust between Proenza and his staff had jeopardized the center's ability to function. The team said he should not be allowed to resume his job.

Proenza has been on leave since then, according to officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service.

He Says He's A Whistleblower

Monday's announcement comes weeks after Proenza's lawyers sent a letter to NOAA officials, claiming they violated the Whistleblower Protection Act. The letter said they retaliated after he said the aging satellite was not being replaced quickly enough and hurricane forecasts would suffer if it failed. At the time, Proenza said he had not decided whether to sue.

Neither Proenza's attorney, Jessica Parks, nor NOAA spokesman Anson Franklin would comment Monday on whether Proenza's new appointment was the result of negotiations to avoid a lawsuit.
Commerce Undersecretary Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., head of NOAA, said Monday that Proenza has a record of outstanding performance in the Fort Worth office and that his return 'is the best way for NOAA to continue to benefit from his skills.'

Proenza was not available for comment Monday, his attorney said. But in a release, Proenza said he had requested the Fort Worth position and was 'gratified to continue serving the American people in my chosen profession.'

40 Years Of Experience

Proenza has worked for the National Weather Service for 40 years.

Ron Trumbla said he had worked well with Proenza for more than six years at the National Weather Service's southern region, which oversees 32 weather forecasting offices in 10 states.

'He has always been dedicated to every office providing the best service to people,' Trumbla, a spokesman for that office, said Monday. 'It's a matter of saving lives.'

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