The Cayman Islands National Weather Service honoured two employees at its Christmas party recently.

Shamal Clarke was voted employee of the year and Avalon Porter was awarded for marking 35 years with the service.

Mr. Clarke, who took up his role as a meteorologist in January, is the youngest member of staff.

“He has made remarkable contributions in a number of vital areas for the weather service including technical support for our website,” said National Weather Service Director John Tibbetts. “Mr. Clarke is also a leading member of the team-building unit and a leading contributor to an in-house project for getting an increased resolution world weather model.

“It was my pleasure to give Mr. Clarke this award because he has been very innovative and has challenged us to expand our possibilities within the weather service.”

Originally from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, but with family in the Cayman Islands, Mr. Clarke has a BSc in meteorology from the University of the West Indies. He then went on to obtain an aeronautical forecasting certificate at the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados, during which time he spent a period with the Cayman Islands National Weather Service taking final steps to become a qualified weather forecaster.

“I was at first surprised I was voted for employee of the year but then I had a sense of happiness to know that my co-workers thought I deserved it,” he said.

Mr. Clarke is one of the officers responsible for Issuing the daily public weather forecast as well as severe weather, hurricane and marine bulletins.

He was nominated for employee of the year alongside administration and support officer Shakira Gregory and weather observer Limardo Scott.

Mr. Porter, who hails from Cayman Brac, began his career as an aeronautical information services officer with the Department of Civil Aviation and progressed to be an air traffic controller before transferring to the newly formed weather office. His career in the weather office led him to become a weather observer and weather forecaster prior to becoming a meteorologist.

“I joined the Civil Aviation Department then moved into the National Weather Service once that department was formed,” he said. “I am very happy to have received the long-service award for all the years that I have been here.”

His list of duties includes preparing daily public weather forecasts, severe weather warnings such as flooding, tropical storms and hurricanes, marine warning (seas and winds), forecasts for pilots, and monitoring the weather in the region.

“Mr. Porter has been a critical member of the weather service staff and is now the lead officer for both the weather radar and statistical data base matters,” said Mr. Tibbetts.

“It was a pleasure to give him this award because of his high level of commitment to the weather service. We would not be where we are today without him.”

The awards were presented to Mr. Clarke and Mr. Porter by Mr. Tibbetts at the National Weather Service’s Christmas party on 25 November.

Photo captions: (Photos by Catherine MacGillivray, GIS)

Photo 003: L-r: Shamal Clarke, employee of the year 2016; John Tibbetts, Director General, Cayman Islands National Weather Service; Avalon Porter; long-service awardee.

Photo 006 L-r: John Tibbetts, Shamal Clarke.

Photo 015 L-r: Avalon Porter, John Tibbetts.