News

From UCAR President Tony Busalacchi - 

I am writing to announce that, after much soul-searching, I will be stepping down as UCAR President and retiring on July 31, 2026, when my current contract ends. I am looking forward to spending more time with my wife, son, and two granddaughters during my retirement, which will come 11 days after turning 70.

My decision to step down next year has come at a time when I am facing a serious health challenge that came upon me very recently, which has caused me to reassess my professional and personal priorities.

Being UCAR President has been a true highlight of my career. I have served the third-longest tenure after Rick Anthes and Walt Orr Roberts, leaders who set UCAR on a solid path. During my time as president, I have sought to strengthen the organization, our community, and the critical research we do.

I have received tremendous support from the UCAR Board of Trustees and truly appreciate their confidence in me as well as support and encouragement during my nine-plus years in the role. This extended to their trust and encouragement in my serving a third term. While I was interested and ready to sign up for that as recently as mid-August, life had other plans. 

I want to thank the President's Council for their leadership, particularly Everette for his steady hand at NSF NCAR, Alisha for her heartfelt leadership of UCAR Operations, and Bill and Christine's championing of UCP. 

Together, we have surmounted many challenges facing the organization and our staff to the best of our abilities, including COVID, the Marshall Fire, the NCAR Fire, the King Soopers shootings, and budget uncertainties. Despite difficult times affecting our day-to-day operations, a lot has been accomplished. The high points for me include: 

• Reinstating Leadership Academy and advancing the training and development curriculum 

• Standing up a DEI office (only to be forced to shut it down this year)

• Expanding our member universities from 109 to 130 and increasing MSI participation 

• Presiding over the single largest increase in the NSF NCAR base budget in both absolute and percentage terms in the organization's history

• Initiating our first-ever retention program

• Appointing our excellent entity leadership 

• Forming the offices of the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) 

• Ensuring NSF NCAR's approved indirect rate has remained relatively flat and below the threshold of the 75th percentile compared to UCAR member institutions

• Holding the first-ever Board retreats and an external evaluation of the Board

• Initiating external assessments of Human Resources and Communications

• Conducting the first-ever UCP external review

• Establishing the NextGen Fellows Program

• Creating the President's Strategic Initiative Fund (now in its eighth year) to support activities in science and administration, and with foundation proposals. 

• Initiating the UCAR President's Office Leadership Fellowship

• Creating the President's Advisory Committee on University Relations (PACUR) Engagement Fund

• Standing up the Office of External Engagement and Business Development

• Establishing Friends of the National Center

• Advocacy on Capitol Hill and bringing together both sides of the aisle to champion data assimilation

• Rebuilding the Research Aviation Facility (a two-year project)

• Initiating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Launching Sundog and UCAR Commons 

• Strengthening the organization's cybersecurity posture

• Modernizing our business practices

• Designing Reframe-Envision-Modernize (REM), our hybrid and return-to-office plans

• Undertaking the Scientific Appointment Modernization effort (SAM)

• Establishing a regular cadence of staff engagement opportunities, including town halls, breakfast roundtables, office hours, and LCPO visits

In closing, I sincerely thank each and every one of you for all your support and confidence in me and your dedication to our shared mission. It has been a distinct privilege and honor to lead this great institution. 

Tony