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AMS Summer Community Meeting Session 5: Communicating Community Priorities Where Do We Stand Now? Leading up to the Establishment of Community Priorities: Report on the 2008 AMS Public-Private Partnership Forum. Pam Emch (Northrop Grumman) Chair, AMS Board on Enterprise Economic Development.
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AMS Summer Community Meeting Session 5: Communicating Community PrioritiesWhere Do We Stand Now?Leading up to the Establishment of Community Priorities: Report on the 2008 AMS Public-Private Partnership Forum Pam Emch (Northrop Grumman) Chair, AMS Board on Enterprise Economic Development August 13 2008
Creating and Communicating a Consensus on National Priorities • Over the last three years, the Weather and Climate Enterprise Commission has actively engaged the community and legislators • Identify and discuss issues and concerns related to the wellness of the community • Promote the community’s capabilities and its positive impact on the nation • Several parallel activities are occurring that are designed to identify, document, and disseminate information that conveys consensus on national priorities • Preparation of an AMS Policy Statement on National Weather and Climate Priorities – a “living” document • The UCAR Transition Document – recommendations to the new administration and congress • Weather Coalition advocacy activities – brings together representatives of industry, academia, and scientific and professional organizations
Creating and Communicating a Consensus on National Priorities (cont’d) • Regular AMS meetings and activities provide opportunities for synergistic development and communication of weather and climate community priorities • The 2008 AMS Public-Private Partnership Forum (PPPF) provided an excellent venue to discuss the set of related community activities and to refine the AMS Priorities Statement in particular
AMS Public-Private Partnership Forum(Formerly “Corporate Forum”) • Takes place each spring in Washington, D.C. (~1 ½ day) • Purpose • Identify business opportunities for constituents of the Weather and Climate Enterprise • Provide industry, commercial service providers, and AMS corporate sponsors with an opportunity to interface with federal agency representatives and congressional staff • Discussion topics include ongoing programs, new initiatives, and budget and policy plans and issues
AMS Public-Private Partnership Forum (cont’d) • Typical Agenda • Three “standard” sessions/panels - consistent year to year • Legislative Topics Panel – Authorization Committees • Legislative Topics Panel – Appropriations Committees • Federal Agency Initiatives, Plans, Opportunities • Two or three “elective” sessions • Variable year to year • 2008 Public-Private Partnership Forum • 22-23 April, UC Washington Center • Approximately 80 people registered • Five sessions (two elective) • Guest Speakers (Day 1) • Luncheon: Phil Sharp, President, Resources for the Future • Dinner: Ana Unruh Cohen, House Professional Staff (D), Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming BAMS Advertisement
2008 Public-Private Partnership ForumAgenda – Day 1 • Session 1: Legislative Topics Panel Discussion – Authorization Committees • Chan Lieu, Professional Staff (D); Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation • Tara Rothschild, Professional Staff (R); Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives • Ann Zulkosky, Professional Staff (D); Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation • Session 2: Federal Agency Initiatives, Plans, and Opportunities • NOAA Initiatives and Plans • Mary Glackin, Deputy Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA • NASA Earth Science Initiatives and Plans • Jack Kaye, Associate Director and Research Lead, Earth Science Div., NASA HQ • DHS Initiatives and Plans • Starnes Walker, Director of Research, Science & Technology Directorate, DHS • DOE Initiatives and Plans • Ashley Williamson, DOE Atmospheric Science Program Manager, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, DOE
2008 Public-Private Partnership ForumAgenda – Day 1 (cont’d) • Session 3: Responding to Emerging Climate Change Policies (Elective Session) • This session discussed the weather and climate community’s information infrastructure needs, along with their role in developing and implementing new climate services and products aimed at responding and supporting emerging policies • Topics / Speakers: • NOAA’s National Climate Services: Concepts, Plans, and Potential • Chet Koblinsky, Director, Climate Program Office, NOAA • National Climate Strategy: Infrastructure Needs • Ron Birk, Director, Civil Systems Mission Integration, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Member, The Alliance for Earth Observations • Emerging Markets: Insurance and Risk Management • Frank Nutter, President, Reinsurance Association of America • Emerging Markets: Energy, Carbon, and Emissions Trading • David Skole, Professor of Forestry and Director of the Global Observatory for Ecosystem Services, Michigan State University
2008 Public-Private Partnership ForumAgenda – Day 2 • Session 4: Legislative Topics Panel Discussion – Appropriations Process • Frank Cushing, The National Group; Former Staff Director (R), House Appropriations Committee • Michelle Burkett, Member of the Professional Staff (D), House Appropriations Committee
2008 Public-Private Partnership ForumAgenda – Day 2 (cont’d) • Session 5: Establishing Community Priorities – Next Actions (Elective Session) • This session provided an update on the AMS Policy Statement on Priorities, the Transition Document, and Weather Coalition activities • Sought feedback and discussed next steps • Speakers / Topics: • Cindy Schmidt, Director of the Office of Government Affairs at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR); Contributing Editor, the Transition Document • Bill Hooke, AMS Senior Policy Fellow and Director of the AMS Policy Program; Co-editor of AMS Statement Preparation Committee • George Frederick, Vaisala, Inc.; Past Commissioner, AMS Commission on the Weather and Climate Enterprise • John Lasley, Business Development Manager and Staff Meteorologist with SAIC, which is a member of the Weather Coalition
Establishing Community Priorities Session was Very Productive • Overall Public-Private Partnership Forum set-up optimized interaction • Forum emphasized panel discussions and Q&A • Five Forum sessions (instead of six) allowed for more discussion both during sessions and during breaks • Speakers at the Forum tend to be quite frank • Community Priorities topic as final session made it a focal point for summarizing key points brought up in the Forum, discussion of priorities and next steps • Many comments and questions; discussion was energetic • Topics of discussion included overlaps / synergy in the various priority activities, budget and policy impacts, specific comments on elements of the priority statements • Illustrated ways for individuals to get involved in formulating and conveying our priorities
AMS Events Provide Opportunities to Refine and Communicate our Community Priorities • AMS Annual Meeting • Example: Town Hall Meeting in Jan 2008 focused on the Weather Coalition and its activities • Public-Private Partnership Forum • A “Community Priorities / Next Steps” session is also planned for the 2009 Forum • AMS Summer Community Meeting • Regular requests for involvement and review via email and AMS website