Jump to content

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States
Under Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere
Incumbent
Laura Grimm
Acting 
since March 31, 2025
FormationOctober 3, 1970
First holderRobert M. White
Websitewww.noaa.gov

The under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, or USC(OA), is a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Commerce on the environmental and scientific activities of the department. The under secretary is dual hatted as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Commerce Department.

The under secretary is appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate to serve at the pleasure of the president. The current acting under secretary is Laura Grimm. She was appointed NOAA Chief of Staff in 2025 and has performed the duties of under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere succeeding Nancy Hann on March 31, 2025 when the duties were delegated to Grimm by Secretary Lutnick.

In February 2025, President Trump nominated former acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Neil Jacobs to the position.[1]

Overview

[edit]

As the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Under Secretary oversees the day-to-day functions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as laying out its strategic and operational future.[2]

Components of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that the Administrator oversees include the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Ocean Service, National Weather Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Marine and Aviation Operations, and the NOAA Corps.[2]

With the rank of Under Secretary, the USC(OA) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule[3] Since January 2023, the annual rate of pay for Level III is $195,000.[4] The Under Secretary ranks fifth in the line of succession for the office of Secretary of Commerce.[5]

History

[edit]

The position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Fisheries Program Authorization Act of 1985. The position was created to serve as the Administrator of NOAA. It also created an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to serve as Deputy Administrator of NOAA.[6] William Evans was the first person to have the title of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. The position of Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was created earlier by the Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970.[7]

During the first Donald Trump administration, the agency never had a confirmed leader. Trump first nominated former AccuWeather CEO Barry Myers to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on Oct 12, 2017. His nomination was returned to President Trump by the Senate on January 3, 2018,[8] resubmitted on January 8, 2018, returned again on January 3, 2019,[9] and resubmitted again on January 16, 2019.[10] In November 2019, Myers withdrew his nomination, citing health concerns.[11] A month later, Trump nominated Neil Jacobs, then the acting administrator, to be the 11th administrator.[12] Though Jacobs had Senate confirmation hearings in May 2020, he was never confirmed, in part because of the so-called Sharpiegate incident.

Reporting officials

[edit]

Officials reporting to the USC(OA)/Administrator include:

Officeholders

[edit]

From 1970 to 1988, the head of NOAA was the NOAA Administrator. Starting with Bill Evans in 1988, that person held the title of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

  Denotes an Acting Administrator of NOAA
No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Ref Tenure President
serving under
1 Robert M. White Robert M. White October 3, 1970 July 13, 1977 3 years, 310 days Richard Nixon
2 years, 164 days Gerald Ford
174 days
(6 years, 283 days total) 		Jimmy Carter
2 Richard A. Frank Richard A. Frank July 13, 1977 January 20, 1981 3 years, 191 days
acting James P. Walsh January 20, 1981 June 10, 1981 141 days Ronald Reagan
3 John V. Byrne John V. Byrne June 10, 1981 November 15, 1984 [13] 3 years, 158 days
acting Anthony J. Calio November 15, 1984 October 4, 1985 [13] 323 days
4 October 4, 1985 September 15, 1987 1 year, 346 days
(2 years, 304 days total)
acting J. Curtis Mack II September 15, 1987 March 31, 1988 198 days
5 William Evans William Eugene Evans March 31, 1988 August 7, 1989 [14] 295 days
199 days
(1 year, 129 days total) 		George H. W. Bush
6 John A. Knauss John A. Knauss August 7, 1989 February 26, 1993 [14] 3 years, 166 days
37 days
(3 years, 203 days total) 		Bill Clinton
acting Diana Josephson February 26, 1993 May 28, 1993 91 days
7 Donald James Baker D. James Baker May 28, 1993 January 20, 2001 [15] 8 years, 206 days
acting Scott Gudes Scott Gudes January 20, 2001 December 10, 2001 [16] 324 days George W. Bush
8 VADMConrad C. Lautenbacher Conrad C. Lautenbacher December 10, 2001 October 31, 2008 [16][17] 6 years, 326 days
acting William J. Brennan William J. Brennan November 1, 2008 March 19, 2009 [18] 81 days
58 days
(139 days total) 		Barack Obama
9 Jane Lubchenco Jane Lubchenco March 20, 2009 February 28, 2013 [19][20] 3 years, 345 days
acting Kathryn D. Sullivan Kathryn D. Sullivan March 1, 2013 March 6, 2014 1 year, 5 days
10 March 6, 2014 January 20, 2017 [21] 2 years, 320 days
(3 years, 325 days total)
acting Benjamin Friedman Benjamin Friedman January 20, 2017 October 25, 2017 [22] 278 days Donald Trump
acting RDML Timothy Gallaudet Timothy Gallaudet October 25, 2017 February 25, 2019 [23][24] 1 year, 123 days
acting Neil Jacobs Neil Jacobs February 25, 2019 January 20, 2021 [24] 1 year, 330 days
acting Benjamin Friedman Benjamin Friedman January 20, 2021 June 22, 2021 153 days Joe Biden
11 Rick Spinrad Rick Spinrad June 22, 2021 January 20, 2025 [25][26] 3 years, 211 days
acting Vice Admiral Nancy Hann Nancy Hann January 20, 2025 March 31, 2025 70 days Donald Trump
acting Laura Grimm Laura Grimm March 31, 2025 Present [27] 50 days

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Borunda, Alejandra; Simon, Julia (February 5, 2005). "Trump picks Neil Jacobs to head NOAA, a scientist with 'Sharpiegate' ties". NPR. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "NOAA Home Page - Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator". Retrieved September 24, 2007.
  3. ^ "US CODE: Title 15,1503b. Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; duties; appointment; compensation". Retrieved September 24, 2007.
  4. ^ "Salary Table No. 2023-EX". Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Executive Order on Succession at the Department of Commerce". Retrieved September 24, 2007.
  6. ^ "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Fisheries Program Authorization Act of 1985". Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  7. ^ "REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 4 OF 1970". Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  8. ^ "PN1099 — Barry Lee Myers — Department of Commerce". U.S. Congress. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "PN1364 — Barry Lee Myers — Department of Commerce". U.S. Congress. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  10. ^ "PN68 — Barry Lee Myers — Department of Commerce". U.S. Congress. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  11. ^ "White House pick to lead NOAA withdraws nomination, citing health concerns". The Washington Post. November 20, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  12. ^ Hotakainen, Rob (December 18, 2019). "Trump nominates acting NOAA leader to be permanent chief". Science Magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Thomas, William (August 23, 2017). "Trump Lags Predecessors in Naming Science Agency Leaders". American Institute of Physics. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Knauss, John A. (Winter 1989). "Memorandum for all NOAA Staff" (PDF). The National Cooperative Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 1, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  15. ^ Lawrence, Richard (May 31, 1993). "CLINTON EXPECTED TO NAME GARTEN TO COMMERCE POST MANY KEY SLOTS REMAIN UNFILLED". The Journal of Commerce. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Miller, David. "CONRAD LAUTENBACHER IS THE NEW NOAA ADMINISTRATOR". Retrieved April 25, 2018.[dead link]
  17. ^ "NOAA Administrator Announces Resignation". Maritime Reporter Magazine. September 25, 2008.
  18. ^ "Brennan Becomes NOAA Head". SeafoodSource. November 3, 2008.
  19. ^ "NOAA Releases Research Update". University of Washington. April 23, 2009.
  20. ^ "NOAA Administrator Lubchenco to Resign". University of Washington. December 13, 2012.
  21. ^ "Kathryn Sullivan confirmed as NOAA administrator". NOAA. March 6, 2014.
  22. ^ Smith, Marcia (January 16, 2017). "Benjamin Friedman to be Acting NOAA Administrator". SpacePolicyOnline.
  23. ^ Smith, Marcia (October 29, 2017). "TODAY TIDBITS: OCTOBER 29, 2017". SpacePolicyOnline. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  24. ^ a b Samenow, Jason (February 26, 2019). "NOAA delays launch of 'next generation' weather forecast model and names new acting head". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "Richard W. Spinrad sworn in as NOAA administrator". NOAA. June 22, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  26. ^ Freedman, Andrew (January 9, 2025). "NOAA chief defends agency's weather, climate, other work". Axios.
  27. ^ Cusick, Daniel (April 2, 2025). "NOAA chief of staff elevated to acting administrator". E&E News.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Under_Secretary_of_Commerce_for_Oceans_and_Atmosphere&oldid=1291245117"