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Southwest Michigan AMS/NWA
July 31, 2018
Bytwerk Theater
Calvin College DeVos Communications Center
1810 East Beltline Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
President Warren Wheeler called the meeting to order shortly after 7 PM. All board members were present with total attendance of forty people.
Vice president Cort Scholten presented a list of upcoming meetings with scheduled speakers for the upcoming season fall 2018 through spring 2019. The schedule is included in an attachment at the end of the minutes. Cort also made the comment that in regards to the summer forecast contest, all entries were too low in the number of 90-degree days for this summer. As of July 31 there were already 15 and the highest forecast was for 13. All of the winners will be announced in the fall. You must be present at a meeting to collect your winning gift card.
William Marino presented the treasurer’s report indicating that as of July 31, we had a total cash balance of $979.25. There were 24 paid members of the club, which is a new high number of paid members. In addition, the members of the club eligible to vote approved the expenditure of up to $250 for a projector and cables for speaker presentations.
Linda Paige talked about the signed copies of books by the late renowned tornado researcher Dr. Theodore Fujita, which we will be raffling off during our fall meetings.
Our guest speaker was Ginger Zee, chief meteorologist for the ABC television network. Ginger grew up in West Michigan, went to Valparaiso University and started her broadcast career at WEYI-TV in Flint. She came to WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids in 2004. It didn’t take long for bigger television stations to recognize her great talent and she soon headed off to WMAQ-TV in Chicago in 2006. In 2011 she went to work at ABC in New York City doing weekend weather for Good Morning America, and in 2013 she became the first female chief meteorologist of a television network. This was truly a remarkable accomplishment in a span of just ten years.
In the past couple of years, Ginger has appeared on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars, gotten married, had two children and written two books. On bad weather days she often appears on the ABC evening news program as well as Good Morning America making for a day that begins at 4AM and doesn’t end until 8PM. She also has plans to write two more books. Does she never sleep?
Her slide presentation was a review of her life and how science has been the driving force behind what she does. Her strong belief that meteorology involves humanity comes through in everything she does, which has included covering all types of natural disasters in addition to experiencing the thrills of paragliding and swimming with tiger sharks.
The question and answer session included several comments about how her honesty and openness about the ups and downs in her life has influenced many people. She has become a role model to many.
The meeting was adjourned shortly after 8PM.
Respectfully submitted by
Craig James Woods
Chapter Secretary
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