Eileen Shea

Currently, Ms. Shea is Chief of Climate Services Division (CSD) at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, NC, and since fall of 2005, Director of the NOAA Integrated Data and Environmental Applications (IDEA) East-West Center in Honolulu, HI. The NOAA IDEA Center was established to advance NOAA’s mission objectives and meet critical needs for ocean, climate, and ecosystem information to protect lives and property, support economic development, and enhance the resilience of Pacific Island communities in the face of changing environmental conditions. On January 3, 2008, Ms. Shea assumed responsibility as the Chief of CSD with responsibility for NOAA/NCDC’s programs in data access; data integration and visualization; user engagement; education and outreach; and international, national, and regional climate services partnerships. In early 2009, Ms. Shea was asked to contribute to the emergence of NOAA National Climate Service as Director of Program Development and Partnerships. Prior to joining the East-West Center in 1998, she served as the founder and Executive Director of the Center for the Application of Research on the Environment, which is part of the Maryland-based Institute for Global Environment and Society. Before that, she spent over eighteen years in Government service in the U.S. NOAA, culminating in her position as the Deputy Director of the NOAA Office of Global Programs. During her time in NOAA, Ms. Shea helped organize the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program and the inter-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program. She also served for two years as Environment and Natural Resources Staff Director for the Board on Sustainable Development of the U.S. National Research Council and has experience in congressional relations and budget and finance in NOAA. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Delaware and completed Masters work in Environmental Law and Marine Resource Management.