When might Trump’s local pick be confirmed? Hard to predict

Barry Myers is still a presidential nominee.

The AccuWeather CEO was named in October as President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the government agency focused on climate, weather and water.

Since then, the process has crept along without the same attention and controversy that has dogged many of the president’s other nominees for everything from cabinet secretary to federal judge.

According to a Senate staffer Wednesday, Myers’s nomination passed along party lines in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Jan. 18, and is now awaiting hearings in front of the full Senate.

“We are just waiting on Sen. (Mitch) McConnell,” the staffer said.

Within two weeks of Trump announcing his pick, Myers submitted answers to the committee outlining his history and qualifications, a 42-page document that included his resume, every speech he has given and donations he made to political candidates.

“...I was promoted to chief executive officer just 10 years ago and since that time, the company has almost quadrupled in size and gone from a national household word to a global brand reaching an estimated two billion devices in people’s hands around the world,” he wrote.

“This was done by assembling a team of leaders who understand the challenges and were prepared to address them. This is the approach I plan to take with NOAA — especially focusing on two major initial problems — reduction of the international trade imbalance in our fisheries ... and having the best weather model in the world,” he wrote.

AccuWeather’s website proclaims the State College-based company that just celebrated its 55th anniversary to be “the world’s largest and fastest-growing weather media company.” Founded by Myers’s brother, Joel, it is a small family business at the same time it is a large industry leader. Brother Evan is chief operating officer. Wife Holly is director of executive projects.

The company and the family have also pushed for legislation in the past that would promote private weather organizations over the National Weather Service for some tasks.

Asked to name his three top challenges, Myers noted in his committee responses the execution of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.

“This is a new paradigm to include the academic/research community and the American weather industry in solving NOAA and national weather issues and must be effectively implemented,” he wrote.

On Tuesday, Myers was still at work in State College, where he was showing off the AccuWeather facilities to Gov. Tom Wolf.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 11:40 AM with the headline "When might Trump’s local pick be confirmed? Hard to predict."