RUSKIN, Fla. — Like hundreds of National Weather Service employees, Brian LaMarre opted to take voluntary early retirement this year. At first, he had no plans to take this option offered by the federal government to help slim down the agency. 

What You Need To Know

  • Brian LaMarre lead the National Weather Service Tampa office for 17 years at the Chief Meteorologist in Charge. He was promoted eight months ago to work on modernization in NWS, but then in April opted to take an offered voluntary early retirement. 

  • VERA, voluntary early retirement authority, was offered to federal employees at the National Weather Service two times in 2025. 

  • LaMarre said it was the right time for him to take VERA. He just launched a new weather consulting business called Inspire Weather. 

  • In February, more than 800 employees with NOAA were fired. LaMarre said an additional 500 NWS employees left over the past few months through layoffs and VERA. 

But by March, he felt he was in a good place to move on in his career and took the VERA. One month later, he launched his new weather consulting business called Inspire Weather. 

“For over 17 years — I got the job here in August of 2007 — and so, yeah, this was the office," LaMarre said as he gave Spectrum News a tour of the NWS Tampa office in Ruskin. 

The office was a home away from home. LaMarre was the Chief Meteorologist in Charge for 17 years, before getting promoted eight months ago to head the modernization of the National Weather Service. 

“Congratulations and best wishes from your friends and family and to Tampa Bay. Your leadership and dedicated personality will be greatly missed," reads LaMarre, from a plaque given to him on his final day of work on April 30. 

When layoffs began happening within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) earlier this year, he began thinking about if the time was right for him. 

“After a lot of thinking and kind of reflection, I accepted it," said LaMarre. 

But losing a meteorologist and hydrologist like LaMarre will surely have an impact in the Tampa market ahead of the storm season.

“That does leave a gap in experience, a gap in knowledge. However, here at the National Weather Service Tampa office, we have an amazing team of professionals. The short staffing has not directly impacted this office in a severe way like it has some other offices across the country," said LaMarre.

"There are vacancies here at this office, however, we're still able to meet the 24-7 mission. We're still able to go out to hurricane expos and work with emergency managers and media to make sure that the public understands what to do when these threats come our way.”

When asked about this hurricane season, LaMarre had no doubt that the Tampa Bay area would not suffer when it came to knowledge from NWS Tampa.

"I do think we're well prepared," said LaMarre. “If we start looking at additional cuts to the agency, then we will see there will be some challenges. There will be some dead degradations in service. And we got to make sure that the public is aware that the National Weather Service, we're here 24 seven to provide lifesaving information. We don't want to reduce or have any additional cuts because then we won't be able to make that mission.”

For years he has thought about launching his own company, and now was the right time.

“Helping people understand weather to going out and giving preparedness and educational talks with community engagement and also looking at some of the media interactions. But another piece too, is about coaching and mentoring," said LaMarre with a smile.