When it comes to demonstrating exceptional initiative and dedication to NOAA, few can equal Jim Houston, according to those who work with him at the Aircraft Operations Center, which is part of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Jim is the center's Aerospace Quality Assurance Specialist and NOAA's Employee of the Month.

Since he joined the team, Jim has become the "go-to" guy for most complicated aircraft issues, both those involving NOAA missions as well as those supporting other agencies. "Jim is the kind of guy who goes out of his way to do anything he can to get a job done," said his supervisor, Cmdr. Phil Kenul, chief of the Aircraft Maintenance Branch. "He's worked here for three years, and I've found that anything I give him to do, he runs it to ground until he gets an answer."

Phil offers plenty of examples. "Jim recognized that our center needed to document standardized maintenance operating procedures, so he formalized the Maintenance Operating Instructions and ensured that they are followed or changed as necessary. His experience with computers has been worth its weight in gold. He modified an automated budget tracking program so that personnel can track all aspects of the status of their maintenance actions, especially those involving contracts and procurements. He has developed a Web-based aircraft situation report to make it easy for aircraft crews to report all necessary status items on-line. He is even in the process of installing a server so that the Aircraft Maintenance Branch will have a LAN for branch use."

Jim often chairs and coordinates the center's Configuration Control Team, where he ensures that the aircraft configuration mode proposed by the user is reviewed before it's implemented for safety, feasibility and regulatory compliance. Because center personnel constantly modify and reconfigure NOAA aircraft to meet specialized mission requirements, Jim saw a need to acquire the latest version of the Defense Department's Automated Weight and Balance System for aircraft. He is presently completing inventories of each aircraft to provide accurate weights and balances. This program will automate and streamline the weight and balance computation procedure eliminating errors, improving accuracy, above all, improving safety by providing flight crews timely and accurate information.

"The more responsibility I give him, the more he takes on," Phil Kenul said. "He keeps developing and developing. I give him one line of instruction, and he explores every possibility to get the job done."

Jim's initiative, persistence, and ability to work with others has saved money on several levels. He has been working with the FAA to certify NOAA's two Lake Renegade Seawolf amphibious aircraft, originally manufactured for the USAF. NOAA has only been able to operate them as Public Use platforms since they lacked FAA certification, although they had all necessary certification modifications installed at the factory. The certification of the aircraft requires the purchase of a Supplemental Type Certificate from the manufacturer required by the FAA to certify the modifications to the aircraft meet all the required federal standards for aircraft use. Jim's two years of assistance persuaded the manufacturer to reduce the cost of both aircraft, saving $200,000.

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Date Last Updated: 07/8/02