National Weather Service Names
Dennis McCarthy as Central Region Director

With more than 30 years of Federal Service under his belt, St. Louis native Dennis H. McCarthy has been selected as the new Regional Director for the National Weather Service's 14-state Central Region. McCarthy comes to Kansas City after 10 years as meteorologist in charge (MIC) of the Norman, Oklahoma forecast office.

"My family and I have enjoyed every post I've held working with the Weather Service," McCarthy said, "but as a native of Missouri, it's great to come back home. I look forward to finishing up my career here in Kansas City."

McCarthy joined the National Weather Service as a forecaster intern at the Portland, Maine, office in January 1974. Since joining the Weather Service, McCarthy has also worked as an intern and forecaster at Portland, a lead forecaster in Indianapolis, deputy meteorologist in charge at St. Louis, and as MIC at Norman.

"Dennis is a respected scientist and manager who brings a wealth of management experience and forecasting successes to his new role with the National Weather Service," said Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly, NWS director. "Under Dennis' leadership, the Norman office helped save many lives with timely warnings during the May 3, 1999 tornadoes in Oklahoma."

McCarthy earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Missouri at St. Louis and later earned a masters degree in meteorology at the University of Wisconsin. He began his weather forecasting career and learned basic meteorology in the U.S. Air Force weather program at St. Louis University.

"I look forward to getting to know the people in Central Region as well as I knew the people on staff at Norman," McCarthy said. "I've known some of these folks for many years, so it is sort of like a homecoming. I look forward to working with staffs of 38 weather forecast offices and two river forecast centers to help make weather forecasts and warnings in Central Region better than ever."

McCarthy and his wife, Maggie, have two sons and two daughters.