Statement from Dr. Jane Lubchenco on the death of former N.O.A.A. Administrator Dr. Anthony J. Calio

Last week we were informed of the passing of former N.O.A.A. Administrator (1985-87) and physicist Dr. Anthony "Tony" Calio.

Known for his strong leadership, Dr. Calio advanced the effort to modernize NOAA's National Weather Service, which included the development of NEXRAD radar - a major advancement for its time - as well as AWIPS 90, the 1st plan of its kind to bring operational satellite data to the forecasting community.

During his tenure, Dr. Calio supported a domestic policy council working group charged with looking at how the nation - federal agencies, in particular - could better coordinate and invest in programs to understand and address changing climate and large-scale environmental change. His work resulted in the creation of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's NSTC Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainability, which recommended the establishment of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Plan.

Within NOAA, Dr. Calio is credited with developing the agency's Climate and Global Change Plan that was the foundation for the vibrant climate research Plan within N.O.A.A. that exists today. He was also integrally involved in attempts to enhance NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites program, including the GOES satellites that were launched in the 1990s.

Before coming to NOAA, Dr. Calio served as associate administrator for space and terrestrial applications and deputy associate administrator for space science at NASA, among other roles. He was also a part of the Apollo management team that implemented and directed all aspects of the program's science activities for Apollo seven through Apollo 17. Dr. Calio held an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and an honorary doctoral degree from the Washington University in Saint Louis.

Dr. Calio is warmly and fondly remembered by his colleagues at NOAA. On behalf of the N.O.A.A. family, I extend my sincerest condolences to Dr. Calio's wife Jenanne and family, and all of his friends and colleagues during this sad time.

Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Under Secretary of Business for Oceans and Atmosphere
and N.O.A.A. Administrator

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