Rear Admiral (lower half) Chad M. Cary has proudly served the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the nation since 2001. He is currently deputy director for operations, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), and deputy director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), where he leads the agency's 15 ships, 10 aircraft, autonomous systems, health services, cyber, training, and commissioned officer corps.
RDML Cary’s command philosophy is to foster a safe work environment, form an inclusive charge, empower the experts, have each other’s backs, and to have a little fun along the way. RDML Cary’s balanced career includes nine years of sea time and 13 years of shore time. He has previous underway command experience aboard NOAA ships Reuben Lasker, Henry B. Bigelow, Nancy Foster, and John N. Cobb. Additional diverse career experiences stem from serving as the Director, Commissioned Personnel Center and assignments in NOAA Fisheries, National Weather Service, and NOAA headquarters.
He is an Alaska native, born in Cordova and raised in Juneau. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Science with an emphasis in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before joining the NOAA Corps. RDML Cary also earned a M.S. in Geography from Portland State University and a Graduate Certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University. RDML Cary is a graduate of NOAA’s Leadership Competencies Development Program and remains committed to NOAA’s future leaders, serving formally and informally as a mentor.
RDML Cary has been nominated to serve as the next director of OMAO and the NOAA Corps pending Senate confirmation.
RDML Cary is accompanied on this adventure by his wife, Dayna, and their three children. They are active in their community, where they engage in school activities and sports. RDML Cary volunteers as a coach whenever possible. In his spare time he enjoys almost any outdoor pursuit, especially exploring new trails.
United States