[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. MAX MAYFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2006

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
appreciation of the works and accomplishments of Dr. Max Mayfield, 
Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL. Mr. Mayfield 
has played a key role in hurricane forecasting and has helped protect 
the lives and property of millions of people in the United States.
  Since taking the helm of the National Hurricane Center in 2000, 
Director Mayfield has overseen a team of hurricane forecasters, 
specialists, and technical personnel at the center's headquarters in 
Miami. Mr. Mayfield strives to improve the warning lead times and 
increase the center's understanding of the tracks and intensity of 
hurricanes. As dangerous storms approached our Nation's coastal shores, 
Director Mayfield personally contacted governors and state officials 
stressing the importance of preparation and timely evacuation. He has 
spent countless hours providing warnings and valuable information to 
all those Americans located in the potential path of a hurricane.
  Mr. Mayfield and his wife, Linda, celebrated their 28th wedding 
anniversary over the weekend of October 21, 2005. What was initially 
supposed to be a weekend get-away in Duck Key, just south of Miami, 
turned into another working weekend for Mr. Mayfield. Once again, a 
Category 3 hurricane, Wilma, was headed towards South Florida and Mr. 
Mayfield provided calm and clear hurricane forecasting.
  Just a few days after the landfall of Hurricane Wilma, on October 
27th, President Bush received a tour of the important hurricane 
facility and thanked Mr. Mayfield for his notable service to our 
Nation.
  After more than 30 years of distinguished service to weather and 
hurricane forecasting, Mr. Mayfield will be retiring in January 2007. I 
know that the residents of South Florida will miss his calm and clear 
voice as approaching hurricanes threaten our coast. His pending 
retirement will mark the end of an exceptional career, and finding a 
worthy successor will undoubtedly be a difficult endeavor.
  South Florida and our country are grateful for Mr. Mayfield's 
dedication in preparing and assisting the people of our community. 
Through his guidance and skilled predictions, Director Mayfield and his 
staff closely watched the path of countless hurricanes.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Director Max 
Mayfield's numerous accomplishments and his dedication to weather 
forecasting. The citizens of South Florida and the United States as a 
whole have benefited from this man's service, and we owe him our 
gratitude. As Mr. Mayfield and his wife prepare to spend more time with 
their families and enjoy retirement, I know that my colleagues will 
join me in wishing them well.

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