Rear Adm. Chad Cary will head the NOAA Corps and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations as part of a continuing leadership shuffle at the agency.
The Senate confirmed Cary for the position last Thursday, one of its last acts before lawmakers left Washington for their August recess.
Cary replaces Rear Adm. Nancy Hann as the head of the 330-member NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. In June, she was named to succeed Benjamin Friedman, the deputy undersecretary for operations who retired after 14 years with the agency.
In addition to leading one of the nation’s eight uniformed services, Cary will be in charge of NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships and 10 specialized aircraft, including the agency’s “hurricane hunters.” They’re operated by a combination of NOAA Corps officers and civilians.
