Minna Win-Gildenmeister is a Software Engineer III with the NSF NCAR Research Applications Laboratory and a vital member within the enhanced Model Evaluation Tools (METplus) team. She currently leads four of the seven METplus components: METdataio, METcalcpy, METplotpy, and METviewer. She used to lead only two of these components. However, when the need emerged for a new lead for the other two components, Minna graciously accepted the additional roles, demonstrating her initiative and commitment to the team’s success.
Three of these tools were recently installed in the EMC Verification System (EVSv2), which will be used to monitor operational models in real time and evaluate model updates at NCEP (EVSv1 is currently being used operationally). Users have been testing the capability of these METplus Analysis tools and their questions have been channeled through METplus' GitHub Discussions. Minna has been incredibly responsive and helpful in answering the users’ questions. Additionally, because she’s aware of NCEP Central Operations’ (NCO) strict requirements for the installation of Python packages, she stays abreast of changes to current packages being used and informs the team of new dependencies sooner rather than later so any needed adjustments can be made proactively.
Minna prioritizes continuing education and professional development to expand her knowledge, develop new skills, refine her expertise, and stay current with trends, frequently on her own time, by attending software conferences and completing training sessions. She also mentors others regularly, which not only benefits the mentee, but also hones her interpersonal skills, broadens her own knowledge, and fosters her leadership skills.
Minna sees the big picture, raising potential issues before the team proceeds on a path that could be problematic. She is an active listener, hard working, and consistently responsive, has a friendly and welcoming demeanor, and a genuine interest in how her colleagues are faring both professionally and personally. She encourages and motivates her team, offering to help lighten other’s loads, expresses gratitude and provides positive feedback frequently. Her willingness to offer thoughtful contributions is very much appreciated and this shows how much she cares about her team members. We are honored to celebrate her dedication to her work and her team.
