Front Row L-R: Ray Tanabe, Regional Director, NWS Pacific Region; Richard Gokrun, Cohort 1 – Tuvalu Met Service; Elifaleti Ene, Cohort 1 – Tuvalu Met Service; Tom Evans, Meteorologist-In-Charge NWS Honolulu Forecast Office. Standing L-R: Jose Aquino, Operator, UH TASI; Thomas Okamura, Instructor, Pacific Desk; Sean Okamoto, Project Assistant, Pacific Desk; Jennifer Strahl, Instructor, Pacific Desk; LTJG G. Carl Noblitt IV, Pacific Region Climate Change Officer, Pacific ENSO Applications Center; Christina Higa, Director, Pacific Desk; Thomas Vaughan, Hollings Scholar and NOAA Intern; H. Gingerlei Porter, Associate Director, Pacific Desk.
July 11, 2014 – The Pacific Desk congratulates Elifaleti Ene and Richard Gokrun of the Tuvalu Meteorological Service on successfully completing the On-Site Training Program of the Pacific International Training Desk (Pacific Desk). Elifaleti and Richard spent 4 weeks at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) campus training on topics including: Tropical Meteorology; Weather Analysis; Forecasting; and Communication Systems. The On-Site Training Program is intended to prepare observers to understand the forecast process, learn fundamental variables and skills required for forecasting, and provide an opportunity for basic hands-on work with meteorological analysis and predictions, and communication systems. It prepares trainees to return to their home country for further operational forecasting experience. The Pacific Desk is intended as an early step in initial forecasting training and preparing trainees for lengthier and more advanced training programs.
Elifaleti Ene and Richard Gokrun were the first trainees selected to attend the 4-week training program launched June 15, 2014 at the UHM. The Pacific Desk is funded by the National Weather Service (NWS) International Activities Office, and hosted by the UH Telecommunications And Social Informatics Research Program (UH TASI) in collaboration with the NWS Pacific Region and NWS Honolulu Forecast Office.
The Pacific Desk acknowledges all of our partners, organizations and experts, past and present who have contributed to the relaunching of the program.
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