As Alan Sealls steps into his role as 2026 AMS President, he carries with him decades of experience across broadcasting, education, communication, and service to both AMS and the broader weather, water, and climate enterprise.
“My number one task,” he says, “is maintaining the Society in a time of unprecedented changes and challenges.”
His second goal is to work closely with the new AMS executive director to ensure long-term stability, growth, and value for members, the public, and the enterprise.
His presidential focus is captured in the theme for the 2027 Annual Meeting in Denver, which is PEOPLE, both an acronym for “People Educated On Planet Live Empowered” and a literal focus.
“People who are educated—formally or informally—about our planet make better decisions to keep themselves and their communities healthy and prosperous,” Alan explains. “AMS is people, and everything we do starts and ends with people.”
A Lifelong Curiosity for the Atmosphere
Sealls’s fascination with weather began outdoors in the suburbs of New York City, before he knew meteorology could be a career. As a child enthralled by thundersnow, hailstorms, and the changing seasons, he remembers wondering in third grade, “How is it possible that water can float in the sky, as a cloud?” and that early curiosity never faded.
By high school, after researching the profession in the library’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the idea of becoming a broadcast meteorologist took shape: “I liked the idea of talking about something I found fascinating—and getting paid for it.”
Academic Foundations and Early AMS Involvement
Sealls studied meteorology at Cornell University, pairing it with a communications minor that helped him develop a clear, engaging public-facing style. A formative internship at The Weather Channel in the mid-1980s exposed him to operational forecasting and broadcast innovation.
Recognizing the need for deeper scientific grounding, he pursued graduate school at Florida State University, where he taught introductory meteorology and honed communication skills that would serve him throughout his career. It was as a graduate student that he joined AMS and attended his first AMS Annual Meeting—an experience that solidified his path.
“I knew I would need the AMS Broadcast Seal of Approval to advance,” he says, a goal he achieved shortly after earning his M.S. in 1987.
Broadcasting, Community Engagement, and Professional Service
Sealls went on to work in multiple broadcast markets—from Albany, Georgia; to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; to Chicago, Illinois—gaining forecasting experience in widely varied weather regimes. He became known for his clarity, calm delivery, and educational approach on-air. Community outreach, especially to students, became central to his work.
“From kids, you hear genuine curiosity about how the atmosphere works,” he notes. “Being able to explain it simply is what makes a good broadcaster.”
His growing professional visibility led to leadership roles in both the National Weather Association (NWA) and AMS. He chaired the NWA Broadcast Board, served on the NWA Council, chaired the AMS Broadcast Board, and in the mid-1990s was elected president of the AMS Chicago Chapter.
Sealls emphasizes that he never sought out leadership roles; instead, colleagues recognized his talent and commitment.
“We often don’t see our full potential while others do,” he reflects.
A Career of Firsts and a Commitment to Representation
In 1999, when Sealls became chief meteorologist in Mobile, Alabama, he also became the city’s first African American meteorologist.
“It wasn’t a goal to be a ‘first,’ but it is an important context for where society is—and where it needs to go,” he says. “I know what it’s like to be the only person like yourself in a room.”
His two decades in Mobile brought numerous city, state, regional, and national awards, cementing his reputation as a standard-setter in weather communication and community service. In 2015, he was named an AMS Fellow.
Educator, Author, and Mentor
Alongside broadcasting, Sealls spent 26 years teaching broadcast meteorology at the University of South Alabama. Many of his students now work across the country in media, forecasting, and beyond. One of his favorite professional moments came while preparing for a flight with the U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, and the two flight meteorologists on duty were both former students.
His passion for weather education led him into video production, creating award-winning educational content for schools in multiple languages. During the pandemic, he organized decades of photos, videos, and writing—ultimately producing several books on weather and on his career.
After retiring from full-time broadcasting, Sealls began providing expert testimony for weather-related legal cases—an extension of his analytical experience as a meteorologist. He continues to write a biweekly weather column and maintains an active social media presence, remarking on the contrast: “On social media, people look at an image and create their own interpretation. In a newspaper, they actually read words!”
Vision for AMS
As Sealls brings his communication, leadership, and service to the AMS presidency, his priorities are to maintain AMS stability during a rapidly changing year for the weather, water, and climate enterprise; work closely with the new AMS executive director to ensure long-term sustainability and growth; and centering PEOPLE—education, empowerment, and community—as the guiding focus for the Society’s work.
Just as he did in decades of newsroom leadership, Sealls aims to “listen to feedback, lead by example, aim for excellence, and help others grow.”
“As AMS President,” he says, “my goal is simple: to keep us strong, keep us connected, and keep us focused on people—because everything we do ultimately serves them.”
Sealls was recently featured on the AMS podcast Clear Skies Ahead: listen to his episode here.
