2023 National SOO/DOH Meeting held in Denver from August 14-17

For the first time since 2015, the Science and Operations Officers (SOOs) and Development and Operations Hydrologists (DOHs), joined NWS and OAR senior leadership and representatives from the NWS portfolios, regional, and local offices for an in-person National SOO/DOH Meeting in Denver, Colorado, from August 14-17.

The meeting centered around the K10 priorities and Goals of the 2023 NWS Strategic Plan: People, Infrastructure, and the Future. NWS Director Ken Graham kicked off the meeting with keynote remarks on the future of the NWS, followed by presentations by the Office of Science and Technology Integration (OSTI) Director, Dr. Steve Smith, and Scientific & Services Division Chiefs on the critical role of the SOO/DOHs in modernizing forecast operations through probabilistic Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS). Meeting attendees discussed topics focused on probabilistic IDSS; social, behavioral, and economic science; service equity; culture change; and new tools and technology. This interactive four-day meeting enabled direct collaboration and discussions on realizing the goals of the NWS Strategic Plan and K10 priorities.

The OSTI’s Research-to-Operations Team led the planning and execution of this major event, with the assistance of the SOO/DOH Meeting Planning Committee. Congratulations to Dr. Chad Gravelle, who led this successful meeting and was named the National SOO/DOH and FACETs Lead on August 14, 2023.