Michael S. Devany is a former vice admiral in the

NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis ...

who last served as the deputy under secretary for operations at the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

from January 2, 2014 to April 2016. He previously served as director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps from August 13, 2012 to January 1, 2014, succeeding RADM Jonathan W. Bailey. As deputy under secretary for operations, he was NOAA’s

chief operating officer A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the " C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if ...

. VADM Devany was responsible for the day-to-day management of NOAA’s national and international operations for oceanic and atmospheric services, research, and coastal and marine stewardship. He is a key advisor to the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere/NOAA administrator on NOAA program and policy issues. Devany was the first NOAA Corps officer to achieve the rank of vice admiral since VADM Henry A. Karo in 1965, and the second

NOAA Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

officer overall. Devany retired from NOAA in April 2016 after over 30 years of combined uniformed service.

Career

VADM Devany was an officer in the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ ...

(NOAA Corps), one of the nation’s eight

uniformed services Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public and private sector. Their purpose is to maintain the peace, security, safety, ...

. He is a graduate of the NOAA Leadership Competencies Development Program and the Harvard Senior Managers in Government program. As Director, MAOC, RDML Devany was responsible for the safe, efficient and effective operation of the NOAA ship and aircraft fleet. He oversaw NOAA’s multi-purpose

oceanographic Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...

, fisheries, and

hydrographic survey Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/ offshore oil drilling and related activities. Strong emphasis is placed ...

vessels and aircraft that operate across the globe in support of the program requirements of NOAA. VADM Devany received his commission in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

via the

Navy ROTC The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...

in 1986 and has been an officer of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps since January 1990, when he transferred uniformed services. While in the Navy, Devany served as a

surface warfare officer The surface warfare insignia is a military badge of the United States Navy which is issued to U.S. Navy personnel who are trained and qualified to perform duties aboard United States surface warships. There are presently four classes of the surf ...

aboard the destroyer in the Pacific and the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

. VADM Devany received a bachelor's degree from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

, and a master's degree from the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...

environmental health Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in April 1994,

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

in September 1999, commander in September 2004, and captain in May 2008. VADM Devany has served aboard six NOAA ships: NOAAS ''Chapman'' (R 446), NOAAS ''Discoverer'' (R 102), NOAAS ''Miller Freeman'' (R 223), and NOAAS ''Hi’ialakai'' (R 334) in various capacities, and as commanding officer of NOAAS ''Oscar Elton Sette'' (R 335) and NOAAS ''John N. Cobb'' (R 552). These vessels were involved in fisheries and oceanographic research operations in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico. Ashore, VADM Devany has served in a variety of staff, scientific, and management positions in the NOAA line offices National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceans and Atmospheric Research, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, and National Ocean Service. He has spent a majority of his career working in assignments that directly interfaced with state and other federal agencies, using his project management and consensus building skills to achieve program objectives. VADM Devany has spent the last several years in senior Fleet operational positions, most recently as Commanding Officer, Marine Operations Center – Atlantic. He was promoted to

rear admiral (lower half) A rear admiral in the uniformed services of the United States is either of two different ranks of commissioned officers: one-star flag officers and two-star flag officers. By contrast, in most other countries, the term "rear admiral" refers only t ...

in June 2011 and appointed Director, Marine and Aviation Operations Centers (MAOC), the operational arm of NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO).Congressional Record June 30, 2011, 112th Congress, 1st Session, Issue: Vol. 157, No. 96 — Daily Edition
/ref> He was promoted to rear admiral in February 2012 and assumed command of the NOAA Commissioned Corps in August 2012. He was promoted to vice admiral on 2 January 2014 upon assuming duty as deputy undersecretary for operations, only the second officer to reach this rank in the combined history of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and its predecessors, and the first since H. Arnold Karo in 1965. VADM Devany has been recognized for his outstanding performance of duties, receiving multiple NOAA Special Achievement Awards and the NOAA Corps Commendation Medals. Additionally, while serving in the U.S. Navy he received the

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to recei ...

and the

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after ...

for service in the Persian Gulf. VADM Devany is a NOAA diver, and holds a

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

1,600-gross-ton Master, Oceans license.

Personal life

VADM Devany is from the State of Washington, and he and his wife Tracy Bishop reside in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

with their three boys: Brendan, Kieran and Colin.

NOAA Corps dates of rank

Awards and decorations

Navy

Surface Warfare Officer The surface warfare insignia is a military badge of the United States Navy which is issued to U.S. Navy personnel who are trained and qualified to perform duties aboard United States surface warships. There are presently four classes of the surf ...

badge

NOAA Deck Officer

NOAA Diver insignia
Noaa small-craft-command

NOAA Small Craft Command Badge

External links

*''This article incorporates material taken from the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

website of th
NOAA Corps.
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NOAA Corps

NOAA's Website

NOAA Corp's Website

NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devany, Michael S. Living people University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni University of South Florida alumni National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps admirals Year of birth missing (living people)