John Potts

John Potts has over 30 years of budgeting and financial management experience at NOAA.  He first came to the National Weather Service in 1990 as a budget analyst where he advanced through the ranks working on the NWS Modernization and Associated Restructuring, and post-Modernization technology infusion, high-performance computing, and facilities initiatives.  He served as the Director of the Budget Formulation and Program Analysis Division and then Deputy NWS CFO.  In 2008, John spent time at NOAA’s National Ocean Service as acting CFO and then as CFO at NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) where he served until 2013.  At OMAO, John implemented new financial management, contracting, and property management practices; improved the transparency and effectiveness of Fleet allocation planning and budgeting; and advanced NOAA’s efforts to modernize the Fleet and increase ship and aircraft utilization.  Since coming back to NWS in 2013 as CFO/CAO, John led efforts to improve the rigor of NWS’ budgeting, workforce management, and acquisition through the establishment of new internal controls, new financial management and reporting capabilities, and new acquisition planning practices.  He also played a key role in justifying and implementing the NWS Budget Restructuring and Headquarters Reorganization, led efforts to streamline NWS personnel hiring processes, and recently advanced NWS budget initiatives to protect and strengthen the provision of Impact Based Decision Support Services and to improve and expand NWS’ product and information dissemination capabilities.

John holds a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA., and received his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in finance. 

John lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife.  They are “empty-nesters” (most of the time) with three grown children.