Member Testimonials
NWSEO MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Meet NWSEO Member Paul Fike
(February 21, 2021) NWSEO continues to collect nominations for our “NWSEO Member Spotlight,” showcasing the work, dedication and talents of our members, inspiring others and connecting all of our union members.
Meet Paul Fike, Former Steward and Lead Forecaster at the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) in Kansas City, MO, who retired at the end of January 2021 after over 36 years of service!
What sparked your interest in a career in weather?
My interest in meteorology started when I was 8 years old. I grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. On January 26, 1967, a blizzard dumped 23 inches on the Chicago area. It remains the most snow that I have ever seen from a single storm and triggered my interest in meteorology.
What is your history working with the NWS?
I started working with the NWS at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) in August 1984. If you asked me in graduate school where I wanted to work, it would be NSSFC. I was also fortunate to work alongside my best friends for the first 10-12 years of my career. I met them in graduate school at St. Louis University. I also worked with former classmates from my undergraduate days at Northern Illinois University.
At NSSFC, I started in the National Public Service Unit and was promoted to Severe Local Storms Unit (SELS) Assistant forecaster in February 1987. In February 1992, I was promoted to the Convective SIGMET Unit which was part of the National Aviation Weather Advisory Unit (NAWAU). The SELS portion of NSSFC moved to Norman, OK and became the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). NAWAU became the AWC and remained in Kansas City. I was promoted to AWC Lead Forecaster in August 1996 as part of the charter group of AWC Leads. I held that position until my retirement on January 30, 2021.
Describe the most interesting/unusual experience in your work.
I always found my work interesting since every day is different. When you are forecasting on a national scale, there is always something to look at. I was a magnet for computer problems when I worked. On one occasion at 1 AM, the lights went out, but the computers stayed up. A few seconds later, the lights came back on, but the computers all went down.
Why did you join the NWSEO?
I joined the NWSEO due to the role that NWSEO plays in stating our case before Congress during budget deliberations. NWS management is confined to supporting the President’s budget. NWSEO has been an advocate for the NWS employees to the members of Congress who are making decisions on our future budgets.
Continue reading this article here: Four Winds News Only
Please submit your Member Spotlight suggestions and comments to Christy Fox at mediarelations@nwseo.org.
-NWSEO-
NWSEO MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Meet NWSEO Member David Saale
(February 5, 2021) Congratulations to newly retired NWSEO Member David Saale of Kansas City, MO after serving 30 years in the NWS. Originally from Chillicothe, MO, Mr. Saale served in the Field Artillery Unit of the Army during 1976-79 in Augsburg, Germany. He began his career with the NWS National Logistics Support Center (NLSC) shortly after working for a printing company in the Kansas City area. Mr. Saale joined NWSEO in 2008 when he first met former Executive Vice President Bill Hopkins and General Counsel Richard Hirn in their visit to NLSC. “Richard Hirn and Bill Hopkins were very professional and shared with me that this would be a smooth transition and it was. My NWSEO contacts have always been helpful with any questions or problems that I inquired about,” he stated. Mr. Saale served as NLSC steward from 2008 until his retirement on January 2021.
In recent months, Mr. Saale contributed to a massive effort where NLSC shipped over 300,000 masks to NOAA federal employees.
When asked, would you recommend joining and supporting NWSEO to others; if so, why? Mr. Saale replied, “Employees should step up and support the work of NWSEO. I encourage employees to aid the only union with the ability to participate in collective bargaining for NWS employees (as well as NESDIS, AOC, AOML, OGC), creating better working conditions for all.”
The NWSEO salutes Mr. Saale and his great support of NWSEO membership and active involvement.
We hope feature stories like this will be a communication tool for NWSEO Members to get to know each other, from across the nation, connect even more, and together, support each other in the work of NWSEO and in strengthening our membership.
Please submit your Member Spotlight suggestions and comments to Christy Fox at mediarelations@nwseo.org.
-NWSEO-
Published December 22, 2020 by Weatherwise Magazine featuring CR Chairperson Jim Lee.
Jim Lee is a forecaster at the Des Moines, Iowa, NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO). An Iowa native, Lee grew up loving weather and reading Weatherwise. He earned his master’s degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma and took his first job with the NWS in Key West, Florida. He is now part of a team of forecasters in the Des Moines office, and although he misses the warm Florida winters, he is happy to be back in his hometown providing a public service to the community.
Download the 1187 form here. There is no need to include a new members' Social Security Number.