OMAO and NOAA Corps Leadership
Director, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
Rear Admiral Nancy Hann
Rear Admiral Nancy Hann serves as director of the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) and director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps). RADM Hann is responsible for the direct leadership and management of OMAO’s operational assets, including the agency's fleet of research and survey vessels and aircraft. She has served in many operational and management assignments, most recently completing tours as the OMAO deputy director for operations and deputy director of the NOAA Corps, commanding officer of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center and as OMAO's Chief of Staff.
RADM Hann has served aboard NOAA aircraft as both a pilot and flight meteorologist, and has supported a variety of scientific missions and multiple unmanned aircraft missions as a pilot and project manager. Her previous experience includes serving as executive officer at the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic, associate director at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and NOAA liaison to the U.S. Pacific Command. She has served aboard two NOAA ships and is a certified diver.
RADM Hann holds a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a master’s degree in aeronautical science and space studies from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a bachelor’s degree in marine science and biology from the University of San Diego.
RADM Hann has a strong record of achievement and has received numerous awards, including the NOAA Corps Meritorious Service Medal, and multiple Department of Commerce medals.
Deputy Director for Operations, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and Deputy Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Chad Cary
Rear Admiral (lower half) Chad M. Cary has proudly served the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the nation for over 22 years. He is currently the Deputy Director, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and Deputy Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer 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 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.
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Programs and Administration, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
Mr. Randy TeBeest
Mr. Randy TeBeest serves as the Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) for Programs and Administration for NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). As DAA, he is responsible for resource management, strategic planning, organizational performance management, platform acquisition and corporate human capital management.
A 23-year NOAA Corps veteran and prior OMAO senior officer, Mr. TeBeest has served on three NOAA ships and earned flight qualifications on six NOAA aircraft, including the agency’s WP-3D Orion “hurricane hunter” aircraft. He retired in 2013 after serving as Commanding Officer of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, with nearly 4,000 flight hours and 155 hurricane eyewall penetrations. He also held senior staff positions with OMAO, National Weather Service and NOAA Budget Office, and served in multiple leadership positions on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response efforts.
Following his active duty service, he gained executive administration and policy experience in the public safety, aerospace and environmental industries as Assistant County Administrator of Public Safety for Pasco County, Florida, where he oversaw fire and rescue, 9-1-1 communications, emergency management and misdemeanor/probation operations for Pasco County, Florida. He has also served as Aerospace Program Manager for Maryland Department of Commerce, developing the space, aviation and unmanned aircraft industries in Maryland. Most recently, he was Vice President of Environmental Programs for a science and engineering consulting firm supporting NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. TeBeest also has experience operating a small, family-owned business in Frederick, Maryland.
Mr. TeBeest holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the College of New Jersey and a Juris Doctor from Taft Law School. He was appointed by the 13th Judicial Circuit of Florida as a Guardian ad Litem, protecting the interests of children in the dependency care system. He also served as a Board Examiner for the Florida Governor’s Sterling Council (Baldrige) Performance Management Program, and is certified by the Project Management Institute as a Portfolio Management Professional.
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