New US National Hydrographer

Captain Roger L. Parsons, NOAA, has been named the new Director of the NOAA Office of Coast Survey, an office that also carries the title of US National Hydrographer. He will relieve Captain David B. MacFarland, NOAA, on 1st September 2003 when Captain MacFarland retires from active duty following 33 years of service, the last four of which he served as Director of Coast Survey.
Captain Parsons has served as an officer in the NOAA Commissioned Corps since May 1975 and has more than 28 years of operational and managerial experience with a variety of programmes throughout NOAA. He has served aboard six NOAA hydrographic survey and research vessels, including command tours aboard NOAA Ships Chapman, Mt. Mitchell and Ronald H. Brown.
He conducted hydrographic survey operations along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, the Caribbean, and in Central America and served as the Commanding Officer, NOAA Officer Training Center; Chief of Operations, Atlantic Marine Center; NOAA Liaison to the US Naval Oceanography Command and Acting Chief of NOAA’s Hazardous Materials Response Division. He most recently served as Director of the NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center.
Captain Parsons gained his bachelor of science degree in Oceanography and Meteorology from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1975 and a master of science degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1992.