Joe Pica serves as the Acting Director of NCEI, assuming the role in December 2020 from his position as NCEI Deputy Director. Since 2018, he has led NCEI in day-to-day operations with a focus on innovation and hiring. Prior to joining the office, he served as Director of the Office of Observations for the National Weather Service. Joe served as Commanding Officer for both NOAA ships Ronald H. Brown and Okeanos Explorer. He honed his leadership skills as Deputy Director of the former National Geophysical Data Center, a predecessor of NCEI.