This article appeared in the Times West Virginian newspaper on
Feburary 5, 2010.

Photo caption: Rick Steiner (left), senior applications engineer for Global Science & Technology, talks with Christine Bradley, GST site manager and deputy software manager. Steiner is one of several new staff members hired in Fairmont to support a contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

NOAA project brings jobs to Fairmont;
Some positions yet to be filled

By Jessica Borders

Fairmont —A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project is bringing new employees to Fairmont.

These staff members will support the partnership between Global Science & Technology and DB Consulting Group. The joint venture, which is called Diversified Global Partners (DGP), exists to secure partnerships through NOAA for the CLASS contract, which stands for Comprehensive Large Array­data Stewardship System.

DGP is the prime contractor for CLASS, an electronic library which is maintained by the long-term archiving of climate-related data.

CLASS is working with NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, which archives and disseminates environmental data across the globe. The contract involves climate warming research, weather prediction, and understanding climate and weather patterns.

The partnership is two years old, and this is the second year of the CLASS contract. The additional workers are being hired for the new tasks that have been awarded in terms of evolving the CLASS project.

Overall, the contract has a $200 million maximum order­ing value over a performance period of nine years, said Christine Bradley, GST site manager and deputy software manager for the project.

She said the recruiting campaign for the project began in August 2009. Eleven new senior- level positions have been allotted to GST alone, and not all of those jobs have been filled yet.

“We’re still looking for a few more positions,” Bradley said.

Between the joint venture companies and their main subcontractor, Computer Science Corp., there is a total of 16 new staff that have already started work in West Virginia so far. Six more jobs currently need to be filled.

“It’s been a very big effort trying to hire as many people as we need here in West Virginia,” Bradley said. “It’s very exciting to be a part of growing West Virginia, especially in the realm of technology. GST has provided a very big opportunity for people to be able to stay in West Virginia or people to come back to West Virginia.”

She said the recruiting that will begin for the contract’s third year “will be as big as the effort we’ve just gone through.” Rick Steiner, senior applications engineer, started his new job with GST on January 2.

He grew up in Cross Lanes, and afterward, his family moved regularly because his dad was a project engineer. After serving in the Navy, Steiner returned to his home state and attended West Virginia Institute of Technology, which he graduated from in 1984. The following year he found employment in South Carolina.

Steiner said he has been trying to find a job in West Virginia ever since his wife passed away 12 years ago. He now lives in Fairmont.

“I’m really looking forward to working with these people,” he said of GST. “It’s a really good company. I didn’t realize how good until I actually moved up and saw how much they … appreciate their employees.”

Steiner, who called himself “an old-time mountain music musician,” said Hazel Dickens’ song titled “West Virginia, My Home” always remained in the back of his mind while he lived out of the state. He knew that one day he had to get back home. “You know where your soul is calm,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to being back here and re-establishing friendships that I had lost years ago and getting back into playing music.”

For more information, please contact John Dahlia at: (304) 368-1862 ext. 14, cell: (304) 657-7095.