Neil Jacobs has been nominated for undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere, or the NOAA Administrator, while Taylor Jordan and Harry Kumar have both been nominated for assistant secretary positions.
Jacobs is known for his role in the “Sharpiegate” incident related to Hurricane Dorian in 2019, for which he was found to have allowed outside political pressure to influence the agency’s decisions regarding the hurricane.
NOAA’s role has become more pronounced in the wake of the floods in Texas, as Democrats are accusing the Trump administration of allowing too many job cuts within the agency that also houses the National Weather Service.
There is no evidence that suggests job cuts contributed to Texas residents’ lack of preparation for the floods, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump have pushed back against such claims. However, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) submitted a letter to the acting inspector general for the Department of Commerce on Monday to begin an investigation into the issue.
The nominees will likely be asked during the hearing about their opinions on Trump’s proposed cuts to the NOAA budget for fiscal 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know about NOAA’s possible new leader.
Background
Neil Andrew Jacobs, Jr. was born in Colorado Springs and is 51 years old. He received bachelor’s degrees in math and physics from the University of South Carolina in 1996, according to his Senate confirmation form from 2017.
From there, he went to North Carolina State University, where he received his master’s degree in atmospheric science (air-sea interaction) in 2000 and his PhD in atmospheric science (numerical modeling) in 2005.
Family and occupations
Jacobs currently lives in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife and two sons.
From 2004 to 2013, Jacobs was the director of research and business development for AirDat, a company that develops sensors to collect real-time weather data, often used by airlines to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts.
Starting in 2013, Jacobs was the chief atmospheric scientist for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, which focuses on providing in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions, but left this position in 2018 to serve as the assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, according to his Senate confirmation form from 2020.
Jacobs is chief science adviser to the National Weather Service, according to his biography from the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science.
NOAA experience
During the first Trump administration, Jacobs was the assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and the acting NOAA administrator in 2018.
The following year, he was nominated to take on the administrator role permanently but wasn’t confirmed until he was renominated for the position in 2020, only for his nomination to be returned to the White House as Trump left office.
‘Sharpiegate’
Jacobs became the center of controversy when an internal investigation in June 2020 found that he violated NOAA’s code of ethics regarding his handling of Hurricane Dorian the preceding year.
Jacobs released a statement from the NOAA in September 2019 saying the hurricane would make landfall over Alabama after previously saying it would not. The statement was allegedly issued because of pressure from Trump, who insisted the hurricane would hit Alabama, but it ultimately did not.
The incident is commonly referred to as “Sharpiegate” because Trump used a Sharpie marker to alter a weather map of the United States in front of reporters to include Alabama in the states Hurricane Dorian would hit.
Promises of resignation
Jacobs promised to resign from various positions that might become a conflict of interest if he’s confirmed, according to a letter he sent to the Office of Government Ethics in late May. If confirmed, Jacobs will resign from his position as chief scientist with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, his position as senior adviser with Booz Allen Hamilton, and his position as managing director with Axioscientia.
Because his wife currently works for the University of North Carolina, Jacobs will also avoid participating “personally and substantially” in any matters “involving specific parties” related to the university.
Who is Taylor Jordan?
Taylor Jordan, who is also up for Senate confirmation, is Trump’s nominee to serve as assistant secretary for NOAA.
Jordan received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and received his master’s degree in energy and climate from Johns Hopkins University in 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was a staff member for the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2018. From there, Jordan served as a senior policy adviser for NOAA for three years.
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After NOAA, he started working at Innovative Federal Strategies, a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., in January 2021. He started as a director of policy and is now a principal, a position he started last January, according to his LinkedIn profile.
During his time at NOAA, Jordan helped advise senior officials on policy and budgetary issues involving weather, climate, and satellite equities, according to his biography on the IFS website.
