Barry Lee Myers Steps Down from AccuWeather
Myers divests from company in accordance with ethics pledge to Office of Government Ethics, U.S. Senate
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Jan. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AccuWeather, the world's largest and fastest growing weather media company as well as the leader in weather-related big data, business and predictive analytics, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Barry Lee Myers has stepped down as officer and director from AccuWeather and has sold all of his interest in the company and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, effective January 1, 2019.
Myers is one of the world's leading authorities on the business of weather, and on the use and distribution of weather-related and similar information, and has been an integral part and a leading force on AccuWeather's executive management team for decades. He was nominated by President Trump to become the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Myers was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee after a public hearing and his nomination was forwarded to the full Senate for confirmation. His nomination, along with hundreds of others, did not receive Senate confirmation before the expiration of the 115th Congress and will require re-nomination by the President to advance in the 116th Congress.
In accordance with the ethics pledge from Barry Myers to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and in his testimony and comments made to the U.S. Senate, Myers has fulfilled his commitment to fully divest himself of AccuWeather and of any and all related interests.
Since Myers became CEO in 2007, the company has experienced continued growth and substantial global web and mobile audience gains. Myers directed some of AccuWeather's strategic initiatives, global expansion, acquisitions and major business relationships. He led the team that developed the company's China expansion through a joint venture with Huafeng Media Group.
AccuWeather Founder, President and Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers said, "Barry has served AccuWeather expertly, helping me guide it from an idea at my kitchen table to the successful global company it is today. I am very grateful for his significant contributions to AccuWeather, including his leadership, ideas, business acumen and his commitment to our global expansion. His presence will be missed. As his brother and the person who has known him longer than anyone else, I can attest to his vast knowledge and believe he would be a terrific asset in service to our country."
Dr. Joel Myers continued, "Over the past two years, as Barry has been under consideration for the position with the Administration, AccuWeather's executive leadership team, already a dynamic and strong executive group, has been enhanced significantly."
Prior to his appointment as CEO, Myers served as AccuWeather's Executive Vice President and General Counsel, joining the company in 1989. He also served as a tenured member of the Graduate School faculty at The Pennsylvania State University for 18 years and as a member of Penn State's Smeal College of Business, teaching and researching in areas related to environmental and planning law.
Barry Myers is an award-winning leader in global weather information issues and is renowned globally as an advocate for cooperative relationships between government weather agencies and the weather industry. He has been a featured speaker in the media industry as well as at the World Meteorological Organization, the World Federation of Scientists, and other science and business organizations worldwide. In 2015, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) recognized Myers for his "outstanding, highly principled leadership of the American weather industry over five decades." In 2016, the AMS named Myers a Fellow of the Society.
Myers has served on the Board of Directors of the American Weather and Climate Industry Association, the weather industry's trade association, and on the board of the Weather Coalition. A recognized expert in public/private relationships in the weather and weather media industry worldwide, he has been advisor to five directors of the National Weather Service, a representative at the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization meetings in Geneva on several occasions, and was an advisor to U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He has vigorously supported NOAA's mission and budgets over the years in testimony before Congress, meetings with Congressional staff and Members of Congress and in support of the recently passed the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law No: 115-25), which was signed into law by President Trump in April 2017.
Myers' wife, Holly Myers, who recently celebrated 35 years at AccuWeather, also left the company January 1st.
Barry Myers received a B.S. in business administration and economics and has completed work for a master's in business management and organizational behavior (ABD) from the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law.
About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world has saved tens of thousands of lives, and prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries and tens of billions of dollars in property damage. With global headquarters in State College, Pa., and other offices around the world, AccuWeather serves more than 1.5 billion people daily to help them plan their lives and get more out of their day through radio, television, newspapers, smart phones, tablets, connected TVs, the AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather.com. Additionally, AccuWeather produces and distributes news, weather content, and video to more than 180,000 third-party websites. Among AccuWeather's many innovative and award-winning features available free to the public are MinuteCast® Minute by Minute™ forecasts with Superior Accuracy™. Furthermore, AccuWeather serves 245 of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of businesses globally. Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder, President and Chairman, established AccuWeather in 1962 and is considered the "father of modern commercial meteorology." Dr. Myers, a leading creative thinker and visionary, has been named "the most accurate man in weather" by The New York Times and one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur's Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs.
The AccuWeather app for Android phone and tablet users is free at the Google Play store. The AccuWeather iOS app is free at www.AppStore.com.
Visit accuweather.com for additional information.
For more information contact:
Eston Martz / 814.235.8622 / [email protected]
Rhonda Seaton / 814.235.8555 / [email protected]
Geoff Phelps / 973-588-2000 / [email protected]
Katie Seifert / 973-588-2000 / [email protected]
SOURCE AccuWeather
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