Staffing changes at HQ and thoughts about the USGS water program
                                       
12/22/2000
                                             
To:       GS-W All
cc:       elt
Subject:  Staffing changes at HQ and thoughts about the USGS water program

To: All Water Resources Employees

In October, Cathy Hill sent out an email describing changes in Water 
Resources Headquarters assignments and organization. Since the date of 
that email, some additional changes have taken place that I would like to 
inform you about. 

Lew Wade, Chief, Office of Information, has left the USGS to take on a new 
job related to mining safety with the Center for Disease Control in 
Washington, DC.  I want to thank Lew for the many contributions he made to 
the Water Resources Division and the USGS during his 4 years with the 
USGS.  Lew co-chaired the development of the WRD Strategic Directions 
document, and oversaw the porting of NWIS to the Suns, the development of 
NWIS-web, and the purchasing of millions of dollars of computer equipment 
with Y2K funds.  In addition, Lew drove improvements in the publications 
process, made numerous contributions to WRD Senior Staff, CPAC, and Human 
Resources Management Committee meetings, and brought a great sense of 
humor to Headquarters.  We wish Lew the best in his new position.

With Lew's departure, I have asked Steve Blanchard to serve as the Acting 
Chief, Office of Information. Steve was serving as the Staff Assistant to 
the Associate Director (AD) for Water.  He will continue to provide 
support to the AD for Water through the Office of Information staff while 
Acting as the Chief of that office. 

The Environmental Affairs Program (EAP), under the direction of Jim Burton 
in the Office of Information, serves the entire bureau.  Jim will continue 
to be responsible for that function, but will report to Carol Aten, Chief 
of  Administrative Policy and Services, at the bureau level. Jim will also 
take oversight of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) activities with 
him for the water discipline, with the goal of being able to develop a 
bureau approach to FOIA activities.

Lew Wade also oversaw the activities of the Yucca Mountain Program (YMP), 
primarily because of his strong background and interest in mining and 
geology. With Lew's departure, the oversight of the YMP has been assigned 
to the Office of Ground Water.

Steve Hammond, who provided oversight for the Technical Operations Program 
within the Office of Information,  recently accepted a position in the 
Eastern Region Director's Office.  Steve's duties will be temporarily 
assumed by other staff in the Office.  We plan to advertise his position 
in the very near future. We want to thank Steve for his many excellent 
contributions during his last 2 years at HQ and wish him well in his new 
position. 

As many of you know, Tom Yorke (Chief, Office of Surface Water) has 
announced he will be retiring at the end of December.  We plan to 
advertise for the Chief, OSW in the near future.  Until a new Chief is 
selected, Mike Norris, Associate Chief OSW will serve as the acting Chief.

We are experiencing a lot of changes here at headquarters and across the 
entire USGS.  At times, these can cause confusion and disruption to our 
lives and our work.  My observation is that the water discipline in the 
USGS is as strong as I've ever seen it.  Budget increases this year in 
ground water resources and streamgaging are helping us rebuild these 
important aspects of our program.  All areas of our programs are seeing 
rapid advances in methods, technology, and scientific understanding.  Our 
ability to convey the information to users, through print and digital 
media are advancing rapidly and bring a lot of praise from a wide range of 
users.  It is clear to me that we are doing an excellent job of providing 
the data and understanding about water to help "build a better world"  (to 
quote my friend and colleague Lew Wade).

Thank you for your continued dedication to the USGS and to the American 
people.  Best wishes for an enjoyable holiday season and a fulfilling new 
year.

Bob Hirsch

**********************************************************
* Robert M. Hirsch 
* Associate Director for Water 
* 409 National Center                  rhirsch@usgs.gov
* U.S. Geological Survey                    703-648-5215
* Reston, VA 20192                         fax 703-648-7031
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