PERSONNEL--Assistant Chief, Office of Surface Water To: "E - All WRD Employees" From: "Thomas H Yorke Jr., Chief, OSW, Reston, VA" Subject: PERSONNEL--Assistant Chief, Office of Surface Water Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 17:08:42 -0500 Sender: "L. Jane Rose, Secretary, Reston, VA" In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 415 MEMORANDUM January 8, 1998 To: All WRD Employees From: Thomas H. Yorke Chief, Office of Surface Water Subject: PERSONNEL--Assistant Chief, Office of Surface Water Ernie Hubbard retired effective January 2, 1998, after 35 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Ernie has held many positions during his tenure, including District Chief of the Idaho/Nevada District and Assistant Chief of the Office of Surface Water. In recent years, Ernie has twice served as Acting Chief of the Office of Surface Water, performing those duties for a period of 3 years. Ernie has been instrumental throughout his career in developing, insuring and promoting the technical and methodological expertise of the organization. He played a major role in designing the format and content of the joint-discipline program reviews which are the primary mechanism for protecting the technical quality of data-collection and investigative programs. He directed the preparation of the Surface-Water Quality Assurance Plan which serves as a model for such plans throughout the Division. He has encouraged international acceptance of USGS methodology through his participation in the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for hydrometric determinations of the International Standards Organization. Many projects of a national scope have benefited from his skillful coordination, including the bridge-debris project, the preparation of annual flood summaries, the Hydro-Climatic Data Network Project, and many activities associated with the Midwest Floods of 1993. His efforts to streamline the dissemination of real-time streamflow data will have a lasting importance to the work of other Federal and State agencies responsible for providing flood warnings and flood control operations for the protection of lives and property. It will be impossible to replace Ernie's indepth experience and knowledge of the Division's surface-water programs, however, we will be advertising a position vacancy in the next few days. It will take several months to advertise, interview candidates, and actually have a new Assistant Chief on board. In the interim, the duties of Acting Assistant Chief of the Office of Surface Water will be filled on a rotational basis. Until January 16, Greg Schwarz is Acting Assistant Chief, followed by Wayne O'Neal for the period January 19 through 30. The schedule for other detailees to serve as Acting Assistant Chief will be announced before the end of the month. During this period of transition, all phone calls requesting general information should go to the main number for the Office of Surface Water, (703) 648-5301. Your call will be forwarded to the Chief or the Acting Assistant Chief as appropriate. Inquiries about District reviews should be directed to Annette Ledford at the same number. Email normally directed to the Assistant Chief should be sent to the Office Secretary, Jane Rose (jrose). Please indicate in the subject heading, "For Acting Assistant Chief, OSW." Thank you for your understanding during this time of change in the Office of Surface Water. We hope to continue the same friendly and supportive communication with the District offices that was a trademark of Ernie's tenure.