NOAA Leadership Seminar

   "Science, Service, and Stewardship Under One NOAA"
   August 24 - 26, 2004
   Airlie Center, Warrenton, VA
   540-347-1300


      FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ):


When is the NLS being held?
The NLS will be held from Tuesday afternoon, August 24, 2004 through 5:00 pm Thursday, August 26, 2004.

Where is the NLS being held?
The NLS will be held at the Airlie Center in Warrenton, VA. Information about the conference center and travel information can be found at the Airlie Center web site. Note that the Airlie Center is about 45 minutes from Dulles Airport and an hour from Reagan National Airport, during non-rush hours. It is suggested you rent a car at the airport rather than take a taxi due to the potential cost of the taxi fare. You will find more travel information on the Airlie Center web site.

What is the dress code and what should I bring?
The dress code for the entire seminar is Business Casual. It is suggested you bring an umbrella as you will be walking from your lodging to the seminar events. There is an outdoor pool available for your use during the seminar.

When is check-in?
Check-in at the Airlie Center is from noon to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, August 24, 2004. The first meal will be dinner on Tuesday. Lunch is neither provided nor available on Tuesday, so please don't arrive hungry. Lodging rooms will be available at 3:00 pm. Some NWS participants will be checking in Monday evening, August 23, due to the NWS field trip on Tuesday morning.

What is the start time of the NLS?
The NLS Opening Reception is Tuesday, August 24, 2004 at 6:00 pm. However, most Line Offices will be conducting pre-seminar meetings at the Airlie Center that afternoon. Please contact your Line or Staff Office Coordinator (or see list below) if you have questions about your Line Office pre-seminar meeting. At this time, the Line Office meetings are scheduled as follows:

  • NESDIS: 2:00 - 4:30 pm at Airlie Center
  • NMAO: 4:00 - 5:00 pm at Airlie Center
  • NMFS: 2:00 - 4:30 pm at Airlie Center
  • NOS: 2:00 - 4:30 pm at Airlie Center
  • NWS: All day trip to NCEP - bus leaves Airlie Center at 9:00 am.
  • OAR: 2:00 - 4:30 pm at Airlie Center
  • There is no Staff Office meeting.

Who are the Line & Staff Office coordinators?
NESDIS Debbie Payne
NMAO Geoff Fuller, Ellen Herrburger
NMFS Brenda Jans
NOAA M&A CAPT George White
NOS Mary Leach, Pete Gibson
NWS Kathy Watson, Ruth Moore
OAR Ann Georgilas, Betty Hess
PPI Gary Petrae

What is the cost of the NLS?
The NLS costs $450 per participant. This cost has been paid for by each participant’s Line/Staff Office. Included in this cost is lodging on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and all meals starting with dinner on Tuesday night and ending with lunch on Thursday afternoon. There is also a limited number of lodging rooms available on Thursday night for “late departure” participants who cannot return home until Friday morning. Participants who stay over night on Thursday will be provided dinner on Thursday and breakfast on Friday; and they will not need to pay any additional costs over the $450 seminar fee.

Is lodging available Monday night at the Airlie Center?
Limited lodging is available on Monday night at the Airlie Center, if needed. In most cases, the cost of Monday night's lodging is outside of the seminar fee. NWS has already secured lodging at the Airlie Center on Monday night for some of their participants. If you are from NWS and have questions about this, please contact the NWS NLS Coordinators (Kathy Watson and Ruth Moore). If you are from another Line or Staff Office other than NWS and would like lodging at the Airlie Center on Monday night, please contact the NLS Program Manager. Note that in most cases you will need to pay for Monday night's lodging with your travel charge card and include the expense on your travel orders.

Do I need travel orders or room reservations?
Each participant will need an official travel order whether you are local to DC or from a field office. All meals and lodging at the Airlie Center from Tuesday, August 24, dinner through Thursday, August 26, lunch are included in the $450 Seminar Fee, and should not be included on the travel order. Participants do not need to contact the Airlie Center for room reservations.

What are the local hotels in the Warrenton, VA area?

Comfort Inn
7379 Comfort Inn Drive
Warrenton, VA
1-800-228-5150
540-349-8900

The Black Horse Inn
8393 Meetze Road
Warrenton, VA
540-349-4200

Hampton Inn
501 Blackwell Road
Warrenton, VA
540-349-4200

Are telephones and DSL lines available in the lodging rooms at Airlie?
Yes - Local, toll-free, and calling card calls are free up to 60 minutes and 10 cents per minute after 60 minutes. Long distance phone calls are 50 cents per minute. It is suggested you use a calling card for long distance calls. Please check with the Airlie Front Desk to verify current long distance rates.

There are data ports in each guest room for dial up modem access. Please make sure your ISP number is a local number in order to avoid high long distance charges. Also note that calls lasting over 60 minutes are charged 10 cents per minute after the first hour. To avoid this charge, you can terminate the call before it reaches 60 minutes in length and reconnect after a few seconds. Make sure to disconnect from the web when finished.

High speed internet access is available in guest rooms at a cost of $9.95 for 24 hours.


    Page Modified:   August 13, 2004
    Page Content:     NLS Program Manager