Miami – The director of the National Hurricane Center went on leave today, government officials said, four days after many of the center’s employees called for his removal because of his comments about an aging weather satellite.
More than 20 of Bill Proenza’s nearly 50 staff members signed a statement last week urging federal officials to dismiss him. They said Proenza had undermined public confidence in the center by exaggerating the forecasting problems that scientists would face if the satellite failed.
Anson Franklin, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the hurricane center, would not say whether Proenza was ordered to take a leave or voluntarily left the agency.
He said Proenza still is a NOAA employee, but he would not provide details about Proenza’s status, citing privacy laws.
“Beyond that, I would discourage further speculation of any sort,” Franklin said, declining to discuss whether Proenza could return as director.
After staff members released their statement Thursday, Proenza insisted his comments were only to ensure that his forecasters had the best tools and adequate support. He did not immediately return a message left on his cellphone.
Proenza assumed the job in January, replacing longtime Director Max Mayfield. Among other issues, he was vocal about the need to replace the aging QuikScat satellite used by hurricane forecasters.
But the center’s staff said Proenza’s comments undermined confidence in their predictions.
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Florida, who is pushing for a bill that would pay for a new satellite, issued a statement saying he was concerned about the timing of today’s announcement.
“While it is not my responsibility to get in the middle of personnel issues, losing the head of the National Hurricane Center right in the middle of hurricane season greatly concerns me,” Klein wrote.
Deputy Director Ed Rappaport was to assume Proenza’s duties while he is on leave, center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.
“The staff is very focused on the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, and everybody’s ready to move forward,” Feltgen said.
Rappaport declined to comment on his appointment. In November, he took himself out of the running to replace Mayfield, saying he could not make the commitment for personal reasons.
Rappaport has been with the hurricane center since 1987. He was appointed deputy director in 2000.
