Mr. Richard (Rich) Bandy is the Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) Director. In this role, Rich is responsible for overseeing this critical development arm of the NWS, which conducts applied R&D for the improvement of diagnostic and prognostic weather information; data depiction and utilization; warning and forecast product preparation and dissemination; forecast evaluation; and impact-based decision support services.

MDL manages numerous innovative critical projects to support NWS operations, including: the National Blend of Models (NBM); the IDSS Management System (IMS); localized Aviation MOS Program (LAMP); Storm Surge Modeling; Forecast Verification; and Probabilistic Forecast Visualization.

Rich earned his B.S. degree in Meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University and joined the NWS in 1994, at the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (known today as the Weather Prediction Center), part of the NWS’ National Centers for Environmental Prediction. From there he transitioned to the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City, NC in 1998, serving as a Forecaster, Information Technology Officer, and 10 years as the Meteorologist-in-Charge.

Since 2017, Rich has served as the Decision Support Integration Branch Chief in the Analyze, Forecast and Support Office at NWS Headquarters. Over his career, Rich has brought diverse and talented people together from different organizations to solve challenging problems. In his role at Headquarters, he led the development of a new Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS) operations paradigm, that will serve as a standard framework for all NWS operational units. He led the development and validation of requirements for the new IDSS Management System to help support all aspects of IDSS relationship building, readiness, delivery, and evaluation, which has led to an Initial Operating Capability that MDL is working to develop and test in FY23.

Rich has been a catalyst in improving rip current modeling, wave run-up modeling, and the development of storm surge surveying techniques through collaborations with the National Ocean Service, U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA Sea Grant, and the NOAA Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration teams.