The AMS has been an integral part of my broadcast meteorology career since the 1980s. We’ve grown and matured together, although AMS is a little older than I am! I’m appreciative of the knowledge I’ve gained and the people I’ve met who have become colleagues and friends. From earning an AMS Broadcast Seal to becoming a chapter president, to serving as a board chair, Councilor and then serving on the Fellows Selection Committee, I see the value of a solid organization to the members who drive it. Look at AMS award nominees, and you’ll be amazed at the depth and breadth of work and achievement, and degree of dedication. 

I’ve watched the AMS take giant steps in becoming more inclusive and more compassionate. We’ve had dedicated leadership and staff keeping us on the right track, leading to a recently-amended Constitution, and now a strategic planning process to carry us forward. The hundreds of members who volunteer on boards and committees do tremendous work in quantity and quality. From discovery to mentorship to education and public outreach, the AMS has wide reach to benefit humanity.

The challenges facing the AMS are similar to those we face in our work environments – growing while staying on budget, managing time and resources, and ensuring each sector and individual has a voice. For AMS, this means staying relevant to the next generation, while sharpening our mission of advancing weather, water, and climate science and services, and staying nimble to evolve with technology. Bringing my perspective as a meteorologist who is equally a communicator, concerned about the health of our profession, our membership and our communities, as President, I will continue to work with AMS Council, staff and Executive Director to address organizational challenges and opportunities and to strengthen our legacy.

Alan Sealls is an AMS Fellow, and CBM, retired in January 2024 from a 37-year career in broadcast meteorology. He most recently was Chief Meteorologist at WPMI-TV in Mobile. He is a sixteen-time regional Emmy winner who went viral on YouTube for his 2017 coverage of Hurricane Irma, with Reddit users proclaiming him “best weatherman ever!” The AMS awarded Alan with the Award for Excellence in Science Reporting for a three-part series he produced on climate change in 2009. He received the AMS Award for Broadcast Meteorology in 2019. His meteorology degrees are a B.S. from Cornell, and an M.S. from FSU.

Alan continues as an adjunct professor, teaching weather broadcasting at the University of South Alabama, each spring. Outside of his TV career, he has taught at the college level for 30 years. He is a member of the Cornell University Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Advisory Council. Alan was the 2018 President of the National Weather Association (NWA). He has served as both a Councilor and a Board Chair for both the AMS and the NWA. He was AMS Chicago Chapter President in 1998, and he was AMS Board Chair for the Broadcast Seal in 2010. From 2018-2021, Alan served on the AMS Fellows Selection Committee.

Alan Sealls is a guest lecturer on college campuses, and an invited presenter and panelist for weather and journalism conventions. He writes a weather column for Lagniappe Newspaper, and serves as a weather consultant and expert witness. Alan has authored three weather-themed books and produced over 100 weather videos used domestically and internationally by k-12 educators. Over the course of his career, he has visited more than 800 schools, promoting science and education, while sharing his love for weather.