Baron announced the appointment of international weather expert John L. (Jack) Hayes, PhD, who will help further expand Baron’s global public safety business development initiatives. Hayes’ extensive weather industry experience includes a 28-year career in the Air Force, 12 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and 7 years in the private sector.
“I look forward to helping government agencies and businesses with their responsibility for public safety by developing severe weather preparedness plans to address weather conditions that could impact facilities and communities,” said Hayes.
Recognized as a national leader in the production and delivery of weather information and services, Hayes served as the director of the United States National Weather Service. His proactive leadership of the agency’s 4,600-person workforce maintained the U.S. as a world leader in severe weather detection and warning for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other environmental threats. He also transformed weather services for FAA air traffic management and established long-lasting international space weather partnerships.
While the NWS director, he also served as permanent representative of the United States with the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a global partnership that collects and exchanges weather information for weather forecasts and warnings. He strengthened bi-lateral agreements with Korea, Canada, Russia, China, and developed strong partnerships with the United Kingdom, and several countries in Central and South America. Hayes previously served as director of the World Weather Watch Department for the WMO in Geneva, Switzerland and coordinated multilateral strategies to improve NMHS weather observations and forecasts in WMO member countries.
While serving in several senior NOAA leadership positions, Hayes directed the National Ocean Service’s recovery response following Hurricane Katrina and developed strategic plans to improve weather observations, forecasts, warnings, and information technology infrastructure.
Hayes had a distinguished U.S. Air Force career, capped off by serving as Commander of the Air Force Weather Agency, where he was responsible for centralized products and services supporting Air Force and Army operations throughout the world.
“This past year continued a forty-year trend of increasing severe weather impacts worldwide. At the same time, weather satellites, radars and models continue to improve weather forecasts enabling earlier, more precise warnings. Proactive planning saves lives and minimizes avoidable impacts to property, Hayes continued.”
