Christina Crowe
The first NWA Annual Meeting I attended was the 2005 meeting in St. Louis. I remember feeling lost as an undergrad, wandering around the halls with some fellow students and slightly overwhelmed by the professionals who surrounded me. I remember little else from that meeting except for one seemingly small moment. One of our professors introduced me to a friend of his who served as the Chair of the NWA Weather Analysis & Forecasting Committee. They were looking for a student to serve on the committee and I gamely responded that I’d be excited to come on board (not sharing my concerns about having no clue what I was doing or how I could contribute at my level).
To borrow from Walt Whitman, "and that has made all the difference."
I progressed from a student member on the WAF Committee to eventually chairing it. I’ve helped plan special events at Annual Meetings, led a team that developed the first NWA Supporting Women in Meteorology luncheon (which laid the foundation for the Diversity Committee), served two terms on the Council/Board, and chaired the new Governance Committee before assuming the role of President. Like so many others, I found many ways to utilize my skills and compassion to assist our community.
Some folks don’t have the time to invest in NWA activities, but here's what I've gained: a vast network of friends across the weather enterprise and the chance to develop leadership and communication skills beyond my daily job. These experiences helped me advance my career and gave me a support system I can count on. And I know I’m not the only one.
You may be thinking, "That's nice for you, Christina. Very 'Ted Lasso storytime' of you, but what's the point here?"
I was lucky to get my foot in the door by knowing someone, and that isn't the case for lots of amazing people. So, we’re excited to announce a refreshed way for YOU to get more involved in NWA activities! If you'd like to get involved in a committee or activity, all you have to do is fill out the Volunteer Form (Button Below). You can also access the form in two ways: Through the Member Portal (find the Member Resources Menu and click on "Volunteer Form"), or using the Quick Links navigation tab in Community.
And that’s it! Once you’ve submitted the form, a committee chair from your desired committee will contact you on an as-needed basis, depending on when the committees need additional volunteers.
While this form will always be accessible, we recommend expressing your interest by December 1 to ensure consideration. We will be sharing the form with committees shortly thereafter. We once tried to secure interest during membership renewals, but our old record-keeping system made it impossible to know whether the data was up-to-date. Not every committee needed new members, but there wasn't a way to let you know.
This new form will let us know immediately if you are interested in a leadership role, and you will see current opportunities that need to be filled. This effort also helps provide a more democratic way for members to find their path into NWA leadership, without having to rely on personal connections.
NWA Operational Committees: Annual Meeting, Awards, Broadcast, Diversity, Local Chapters, Member Group, Membership & Marketing, Professional Development, Remote Sensing and Social Media
NWA Board Committees: Governance and Finance
In addition to the committees listed, opportunities also exist in the following areas: abstract reviewing, scholarship evaluation, WeatherReady Fest, RON, WAF, and webinars.
Volunteer Form
Interested members must be in good standing.
Filling out this form is not a guarantee of committee selection.
Appointments are approved by the NWA President per NWA Bylaws: Section 9.1.
