Getting involved with AMS has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career. It’s made me a better broadcaster, weather communicator, and scientist. I hope to encourage broadcasters to take greater advantage of the vast resources of our Society.

In my opinion, AMS and the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise in general are doing more today to connect with the broadcast community than ever before. I have been fortunate to participate in some of these synergies. In 2014, as one of the first broadcasters invited to participate in the Hazardous Weather Testbed Experimental Warning Program, I got to work alongside NWS forecasters from around the country. A year and a half later, I joined several other broadcast meteorologists from around the country at NCAR’s facility in Boulder, Colorado, for a workshop on communicating climate change information. Later that same year, at Kennedy Space Center, I was privileged to be a part of a small group of broadcast meteorologists to see the GOES-R satellite launch in person. All of these endeavors required collaboration between sectors of our diverse Weather Enterprise. I believe AMS plays a critical role in fostering this collaboration.

As the 100th anniversary of AMS approaches, I am concerned about the increased animosity the scientific community is facing. That’s why it’s more critical than ever to have effective science communicators and strong, powerful advocates for our work. All members of our Society need to utilize our authority and good standing with the public to be science ambassadors, to protect the integrity of our work, and to ignite interest in solid science. That’s my primary mission as a candidate for AMS Council. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Erica Grow

Erica Grow is a broadcast meteorologist for WNBC, the flagship of the NBC station group in New York City. She joined WNBC in 2015 from WUSA in Washington, D.C. Her career in broadcasting has also taken her to WPVI in Philadelphia, along with stops in central Pennsylvania, the Connecticut shoreline, and west Texas. In 2017, Erica helped found NBC’s school outreach initiative, “Weather Kids,” designing the curriculum and helping to structure the program. In the 2017/18 school year, NBC’s New York stations made more than 20 visits to schools and community centers throughout the Tri-State, reaching more than 1,000 elementary and middle-school children.

Erica attained the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation from AMS in 2012 and has increased her involvement with the Society ever since. She currently serves on the Board on Enterprise Communication (2015–present), Board on Enterprise Economic Development (2017–present), and the Board on Best Practices (2018–present). Erica received her B.S. in meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002 and currently serves on the University’s Meteorology Alumni Development Sub-Committee.