[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1284-H1286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE WORK AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. BRITT ``MAX'' MAYFIELD, 
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER'S TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER 
                          UPON HIS RETIREMENT

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 72) recognizing the work and 
accomplishments of Mr. Britt ``Max'' Mayfield, Director of the National 
Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center upon his retirement.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 72

       Whereas Mr. Britt ``Max'' Mayfield is known as the ``Walter 
     Cronkite of Weather'', trustworthy, calming, and always 
     giving the facts straight;
       Whereas Mr. Mayfield is a Fellow of the American 
     Meteorological Society and a nationally and internationally 
     recognized expert on hurricanes, and has presented papers at 
     national and international scientific meetings, lectured in 
     training sessions sponsored by the United Nations World 
     Meteorological Organization, and provided numerous interviews 
     to electronic and print media worldwide;
       Whereas in 2006, Mr. Mayfield received the Government 
     Communicator of the Year Award from the National Association 
     of Government Communicators, a national not-for-profit 
     professional network of government employees who disseminate 
     information within and outside the government, as well as the 
     prestigious Neil Frank Award from the National Hurricane 
     Conference;
       Whereas in 2005, Mr. Mayfield received a Presidential Rank 
     Award for Meritorious Service from President George W. Bush 
     and was named ABC Television Network's ``Person of the Week'' 
     after Hurricane Katrina;
       Whereas in 2004, the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological 
     Services and Supporting Research presented the Richard 
     Hagemeyer Award to Mr. Mayfield at the Interdepartmental 
     Hurricane Conference for his contributions to the hurricane 
     warning program of the United States;
       Whereas also in 2004, the National Academy of Television 
     Arts and Sciences Suncoast Chapter recognized Mr. Mayfield 
     with the Governor's Award, more commonly known as an 
     ``Emmy'', for extraordinary contributions to television by an 
     individual not otherwise eligible for an Emmy;
       Whereas in 2000, Mr. Mayfield received an Outstanding 
     Achievement Award at the National Hurricane Conference and in 
     1996 the American Meteorological Society honored him with the 
     Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for exemplary performance as 
     coordinator of the National Hurricane Center's

[[Page H1285]]

     hurricane preparedness training for emergency preparedness 
     officials and the general public;
       Whereas Mr. Mayfield and his colleagues have been 
     recognized by the Department of Commerce with Gold Medals for 
     work during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Isabel in 
     2003, and a Silver Medal during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988;
       Whereas Mr. Mayfield was also awarded a National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration Bronze Medal for creating a 
     public-private partnership to support the disaster 
     preparedness of the United States; and
       Whereas Mr. Mayfield is the current Chairman of the World 
     Meteorological Organization Regional Association-IV, which 
     supports 26 members from Atlantic and eastern Pacific 
     countries: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors Mr. Britt ``Max'' Mayfield's commitment to 
     improving the accuracy of hurricane forecasting as Director 
     of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction 
     Center;
       (2) thanks Mr. Mayfield for his service, which has 
     undoubtedly helped to save countless lives and the property 
     of citizens around the world;
       (3) commends Mr. Mayfield's dedication to expanding 
     educational opportunities for State and local emergency 
     management officials;
       (4) acknowledges the critical role that Mr. Mayfield has 
     played in forecast and service improvements over his 34-year 
     career;
       (5) recognizes the unwavering support of Mr. Mayfield's 
     family in supporting his career;
       (6) wishes Mr. Mayfield continued success in his future 
     endeavors; and
       (7) recognizes the support and work of the staff of the 
     National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center during 
     Mr. Mayfield's tenure as Director of the Center.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 72, the resolution now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) be allowed to control the time 
on our side. Mr. Mahoney has taken the lead on this bill, and I 
appreciate him doing so.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution honoring Max 
Mayfield, former director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center.
  In less than 2 years, my home State of Florida suffered damage from 
four tropical storms and eight hurricanes. Likewise, on August 29, 
2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans, devastating the 
gulf coast region of the United States. In the days that followed, we 
learned that Katrina had left nearly 80 percent of the Crescent City 
under water, caused an immeasurable amount of damage, displaced 
thousands of families and resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,500 
people.
  While hurricanes cannot be prevented, accurate storm forecasting has 
helped millions of people prepare for them and prepare for evacuation. 
The individual responsible for providing the public with these accurate 
and easy-to-understand forecasts was Mr. Mayfield, who retired from the 
National Hurricane Center on January 3 of this year.
  Born in Oklahoma, Mr. Mayfield began his forecasting career with the 
Air Force in 1970 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with 
a degree in mathematics. In 1972, he received his master's degree in 
meteorology from Florida State University.
  Mr. Mayfield joined the National Weather Service as a satellite 
meteorologist in Miami. During his 34-year career at the center, Mr. 
Mayfield served as a senior forecaster, deputy director and then 
director.
  Mr. Mayfield has received numerous awards for his work in the field 
of meteorology. In 1996, the American Meteorological Society presented 
him with the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for exemplary performance 
as coordinator of the National Hurricane Center's hurricane 
preparedness training for emergency preparedness officials and the 
general public.
  He has also received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2000 
National Hurricane Conference for developing and expanding educational 
opportunities for the State and local emergency management officials.
  In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce has recognized Mr. 
Mayfield with gold medals for his work during hurricanes Andrew, 
Isabel, and a silver medal during Hurricane Gilbert.

                              {time}  1100

  Maybe more important than the many awards, however, are the countless 
lives that have been saved by the work of Mr. Mayfield and his team at 
the National Hurricane Center. The Nation is truly grateful to Mr. 
Mayfield; his wife, Linda; for a lifetime of love and dedication to the 
National Hurricane Center, and the people in this great country are 
thankful for his service.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise also in support of House Resolution 72, 
recognizing the incredible work and the accomplishments of Mr. Max 
Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, the Tropical 
Protection Center, again, of the National Hurricane Center, which is 
located in Miami, Florida. He has recently retired. I want to also 
commend my colleague from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) for introducing this 
timely and very good resolution.
  As a Floridian, I am keenly aware, Mr. Speaker, of the wrath that 
Mother Nature can throw our way when she is so inclined to do so, 
especially when it comes to hurricanes. We all recall that, for 
example, in a time of just 2 years, 2 short years, Florida had eight 
hurricanes that actually hit and made landfall on the State of Florida.
  Mr. Mayfield has worked and strived to improve the warning lead 
times, to increase the understanding of the track of where the 
hurricanes are going, and also particularly the intensity of those 
hurricanes.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the things that always struck me was that, as 
these storms were coming our way, coming towards the United States, 
Director Mayfield would actually personally get on the phone. This was 
not something that was required by his job. He would pick up the phone 
and call Governors and call mayors and tell them, Hey, this is a real 
storm. It is coming your way. Get ready. I don't see that you are ready 
enough. Get ready. And he would make sure that those governments were 
prepared and evacuating the people that they needed to evacuate to make 
sure that the people were safe.
  He and his staff have helped protect the lives and the property of 
millions of people in our country and even of other countries, 
countries throughout the Caribbean.
  He is the epitome of a dedicated public servant, Mr. Speaker. He has 
received many awards, including in 2005 he received the Presidential 
Rank Award for Meritorious Service from President George W. Bush.
  After more than 30 years of distinguished service to weather 
forecasting and hurricane forecasting, Mr. Max Mayfield retired in 
January of 2007. I know that the residents of south Florida and of the 
entire country and all the Caribbean will miss his calm, clear voice 
when those hurricanes are threatening our shores. His retirement marks 
the end of an exceptional career, and his successors at the National 
Hurricane Center will clearly have very large shoes to fill as Max and 
his wife Linda now prepare to spend a little bit of time, hopefully a 
lot of time, with their families, because, again, Max has been on call 
24/7, and we are used to seeing him on TV, and one always wondered does 
that man ever sleep? The answer is, Mr. Speaker, that when there was a 
storm coming, no, he and his staff did not sleep. Well, now he is going 
to be spend a little more time with his wife Linda and his family.
  I know that my colleagues will join this Congress in wishing both him 
and his wife and his family all the best. We know they will enjoy their 
time together.
  But on a personal note I just want to say, Max, thank you for a life 
well

[[Page H1286]]

lived. Thank you for a job well done. Millions of people are grateful 
for your sacrifice, for your hard work. We are indebted to you. Thank 
you, my friend. Enjoy your retirement. But we will miss you.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will now yield 2 
minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have got some very 
important visitors in my office at this time, but I mentioned to them, 
and I know they understand, that I wanted to come down to speak a 
minute on someone who has long been south Florida's treasure and really 
became the national treasure, Max Mayfield, who has saved countless 
lives.
  And with his demeanor and professionalism even in those 
extraordinarily tense moments, Mr. Speaker, when storms are approaching 
or have arrived, Max was that great sea of tranquility that helped our 
communities wherever those storms were approaching through those tense 
moments. And he is really an extraordinary human being with a wonderful 
team. So my heart goes out to that team that he helped build and is 
still there doing great work.
  And to Max, as he begins this new chapter in his life, Godspeed, with 
our profound gratitude for having helped so many for so many years with 
your very important work, Max Mayfield.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to 
yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Britt 
``Max'' Mayfield on an exemplary career of service to his fellow 
citizens, and to wish him well in his much-deserved retirement.
  In his 34 years of service to the Nation, Max Mayfield has 
personified the dedication and excellence that make the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service one 
of the crown jewels of the Federal Government.
  Since he began forecasting weather for the Air Force in 1970 and over 
more than three decades with the National Weather Service, Max has 
helped push forward the science of forecasting to help make our Nation 
a safer place. But just making better forecasts has never been enough 
for Max, because a forecast does no good if no one hears it. Mr. 
Mayfield has also dedicated his career to making sure that his always-
improving forecasts got out quickly, as quickly as possible, to the 
people who need them. He understands not only the science of 
forecasting hurricanes, but the science of communication.
  There is no doubt in my mind that Max Mayfield's exemplary efforts 
and those of his hardworking staff at the National Hurricane Center's 
Tropical Prediction Center have helped communities prepare for 
impending disasters and have saved lives in communities around the 
country and around the world.
  I am not alone in my esteem for Mr. Mayfield. The American 
Meteorology Society, the National Association of Government 
Communicators, ABC Television, the National Academy of Television Arts 
and Sciences, the National Hurricane Conference, the Department of 
Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 
President George W. Bush have all presented Max with formal awards for 
his outstanding achievements and service to his craft and to society. 
And those are just the formal awards. They do not include the many 
personal ``thank yous'' that he has received from the very people he 
has spent his life serving, and from the people whose lives he has 
helped save.
  My colleagues, in Congress we think we are busy, and, indeed, we are. 
But I understand that in the thick of storm season, Mr. Mayfield 
sometimes did more than 100 interviews in 1 day. Now, that is busy. I 
am certain he is looking forward to retirement.
  I am pleased to express my deepest gratitude to Max Mayfield and to 
his endlessly supportive family for sharing him with us for this time.
  Max, God bless you and the work you have done. I wish you calm 
weather and smooth sailing in your retirement.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 
seconds.
  We do a lot of important work in Congress, and we pass a lot of good 
resolutions for good people, but rarely can you actually say that here 
is a person who has saved thousands upon thousands upon thousands of 
lives in his work. He is truly a fine, wonderful public servant, and it 
is wonderful to be able to have the opportunity to now support and vote 
on this fine resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman 
Gordon and his staff and my colleagues who have helped me put together 
this resolution and to honor Mr. Mayfield.
  I would just like to conclude by saying that we wish Mr. Mayfield a 
wonderful retirement with his wife Linda and their three kids. And, 
again, I would like to congratulate him for his exemplary service and 
his distinguished career at the National Weather Service and National 
Hurricane Center. The Nation is going to miss him.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 72.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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