Transition on #TeamMWN

It's the time of year when college students graduate and move on to the their chosen profession or graduate school. As you know, MemphisWeather.net relies a great deal on student interns that are studying meteorology at the college level to help bring you always-current weather content. So, this time of year can be bittersweet as I bid farewell to some and welcome others into the #TeamMWN fold!

Signing off

Alex Herbst has been an MWN intern since January 2017 as he has pursued his Master's Degree in Broadcast Meteorology at Mississippi State University. He graduated last week and is now off to pursue his dream job in a big market! I have nothing but great things to say about Alex. He has been focused on and dedicated to serving all of you, and has also been a good friend to me. He has written many a blog post, filled in occasionally on the forecast desk, and authored hundreds of tweets (at least)! He even flew solo on MWN when the Tom Lee Storm blew through last May while I was stranded in darkness with no internet! Being from the NYC area, I know he hopes to someday land an on-air gig in his hometown, and I have no doubt that that will happen. Alex knows his meteorology, he knows how to communicate it, and he is passionate about his chosen profession. Alex, we wish you well! And anytime you want to come back and pen a blog or work an overnight storm system in the Mid-South, the floor is yours! :-)

There's no uncertainty in this forecast. Brighter skies are on the horizon. I'm excited to have graduated from @msstate with my Master's Degree in broadcast meteorology! #MSUwx #HailState pic.twitter.com/5p5QLwwTHW

— Alex Herbst (@AlexHerbstWX) May 4, 2018

Here are some comments from Alex, in his own words:

One and a half years, and what a ride it has been. From the Memorial Day 2017 severe storms to the spin up tornadoes after Hurricane Harvey to all those quiet sunny days like today, it has been my honor and privilege to serve as part of Team MWN and bring you consistent, accurate, and timely weather information for the Memphis area. We have shared in many great moments, and many challenging ones, but MWN has been there to help guide us all through the storms, and will continue to be there for years to come.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to Erik Proseus, who brought me on board back in January 2017 and trusted me to help serve you all with the best forecasts and weather information in the mid-south region. He has been such a great person to work for and work with, continuing to improve my craft as a communicator and a meteorologist. He is a tireless advocate for his team, but he deserves so much of the credit on a daily basis for the successes of MemphisWeather.Net.

I also want to thank all of the interns that I have worked with over my time at MWN. Lauren Pounds, Adam Sabes, Trevor Birchett, Reggie Roakes, and Caroline MacDonald helped me grow and learn the ropes here at MWN, and many of them will continue to carry our brand forward. Lauren, Reggie, and Caroline will continue to be great ambassadors for MemphisWeather.Net and provide the great weather knowledge (and occasional memes and GIFs) that you all have come to know and love.

MemphisWeather.Net is in great hands going forward, and I am excited to watch and listen with all of you as they continue to provide all the weather you’ve come to rely on over the years. I hope to be able to share my future plans in the coming weeks. But for now, this is Meteorologist Alex Herbst signing off for the final time from MWN.

Moving forward!

Though she started a couple of weeks ago, I'll make this the formal introduction of Caroline MacDonald, who will be filling Alex's big shoes! Caroline also graduated from Mississippi State last week with her Bachelor's in Meteorology, but is starting graduate school at #HailState this fall. She resides in middle TN and interned with @NashSevereWx for the past 2 years, which means she knows her stuff - and is even fluent in GIF-ology! Caroline comes with the highest of recommendations and we look forward to having her as part of #TeamMWN! She will work social media, write blog posts, and also occasionally pick up some forecasting duties. Welcome aboard Caroline!

Fortunately, some things don't change, so our consistency going forward will be provided by rising Senior, Lauren Pounds, and brand-new graduate student, Reggie Roakes. Both are enrolled in Meteorology at Mississippi State (at some point, I may just need to go ahead and get a cowbell for the home office!). Reggie also just received his undergrad degree and starts a Master's program this fall. He has quickly come up to speed this spring since starting over Christmas break and brings his own unique perspective to the team! I know that will come out even more as begins blogging for MWN. Reggie will continue to be responsible for keeping social media updated in good weather and bad, and will also be writing periodic forecasts as well.

And though she is the youngest, Lauren has just a year of meteorology classes left and has proven to be a huge asset to us on the social media nowcasting side. As she gets into her forecasting classes this next year, I'll let her take the wheel more and start practicing her developing forecast skills on you all! Lauren hails from New Orleans and has stories to tell about surviving Hurricane Katrina, so there's no doubt where her passion lies. I look forward to the great content that Caroline, Reggie, and Lauren all bring to you all in the coming months!

#TeamMWN, summer 2018 - (L to R) Erik, Reggie, Lauren, and Caroline

Erik Proseus
MWN Meteorologist

----
Follow MWN on Facebook and Twitter for routine updates and the latest info!
Complete MWN Forecast: MemphisWeather.net on the mobile web or via the MWN mobile app
Download our iPhone or Android apps, featuring StormWatch+ severe weather alerts!

MWN is a NOAA Weather Ready Nation Ambassador

Meteorologist Erik Proseus is an NWA Digital Seal Holder