About Our Principal
Ellen Mecray is the Founder and Principal at Aeolus Climate Strategies, LLC. Ellen is a proven leader who works to connect climate science and services with states, communities, and industry sectors. She responds to her clients’ needs to understand physical science information, connect with researchers and with industry, and co-develop tools for those making decisions about their risks in a changing climate.
In-depth Experience
Prior to starting her own company, Ellen was a federal leader for almost 29 years. She served as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Regional Climate Services Director for the Eastern Region (16 states). As a senior leader in NOAA, she focused on the delivery and interpretation of climate information using networks across several critical economic sectors including insurance, transportation, health, energy, and others.
Recognized Climate Expert
Ellen is a recognized climate expert and communicator, having served as the Coordinating Chapter Author for the Northeast regional chapter of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Fourth and Fifth National Climate Assessments, and a leader for several federal interagency partnerships. She has served on panels for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and the Aspen Global Change Institute, among others.
Skilled Leadership
Ellen has built a successful reputation for distilling, translating, and coordinating information, services and products for a diverse group of stakeholders across regional, state, and local geographies and specific sectors. She is a champion for climate services and led the team that developed the model for Service Delivery that drove a culture change across NOAA. This work formed the backbone for her leadership of the Industry Partnership that brought in over $100M in new resources. Ellen is known for transparent communication and trust building with customers across multiple levels, and works to ensure they can find and use the nation’s authoritative climate information.
Select Publications
National-Scale Climate Services
Metchis, K., N. Beller-Simms, M. Hodgins, E. Mecray, and A. Speciale (2022). Our Changing Precipitation: A Conversation on the Science of Precipitation and Planning for the Future. NOAA/OAR/Climate Program Office and the Water Research Foundation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25923/hh5r-tt07
Our Changing Precipitation: A Conversation on the Science of Precipitation and Planning for the Future.
Understanding decision context to improve heat health information.
Jones, Hunter M; Mecray, EL; Birkel, SD; Conlon, KC; Kinney, PL; Silva, VBS; Solecki, W; Rogers, TM Surgeon (2019). Understanding decision context to improve heat health information. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, v. 100, Iss. 8, p. ES221-ES225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0042.1
Zamuda, C., D.E. Bilello, G. Conzelmann, E. Mecray, A. Satsangi, V. Tidwell, and B.J. Walker, 2018: Energy Supply, Delivery, and Demand. In Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 174–201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH4
Energy Supply, Delivery, and Demand. In: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II
Regional Climate Services
Whitehead, J.C., E.L. Mecray, E.D. Lane, L. Kerr, M.L. Finucane, D.R. Reidmiller, M.C. Bove, F.A. Montalto, S. O'Rourke, D.A. Zarrilli, P. Chigbu, C.C. Thornbrugh, E.N. Curchitser, J.G. Hunter, and K. Law, 2023: Ch. 21. Northeast. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. Crimmins, A.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA.
Northeast. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment
Reflections on preparing regional chapters for NCA5
Frazier, A.G., Lustig, A.R., Chang, M., Elias, E.H., McPherson, R.A., Keener, V.W., Grecni, Z.N., Huntington, H.P., Mecray, E.L., Wood, K.M., Dello, K.D., Chard-Maldonado, P., White, D.D. (2025). Reflections on preparing regional chapters for NCA5. J. Climatic Change, v. 178, Iss. 4, Article 72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-025-03874-y
Northeast. In: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II
Dupigny-Giroux, L.A., E.L. Mecray, M.D. Lemcke-Stampone, G.A. Hodgkins, E.E. Lentz, K.E. Mills, E.D. Lane, R. Miller, D.Y. Hollinger, W.D. Solecki, G.A. Wellenius, P.E. Sheffield, A.B. MacDonald, and C. Caldwell, 2018: Northeast. In Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 669–742. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH18
Climate and Transportation
Sias, J.E., Dave, E., Underwood, S., Bowers, B., Harvey, J., Henning, T., Tighe, S., Jacobs, J., Pregnolato, M., Qiao, Y., Mecray, E., Golalipour, A., Chamorro, A., and Hendrick, P. (2025). Climate Change Impacts on Roadways. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, v. 6, pp. 555–573. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-025-00711-9
Climate Change Impacts on Roadways
Progress and Challenges in Incorporating Climate Change Information into Transportation Research and Design
Douglas, E., J. Jacobs, K. Hayhoe, L. Silka, J.S. Daniel, M. Collins, A. Alipour, B. Anderson, C. Hebson, E. Mecray, R. Mallick, Q. Zou, P. Kirshen, H. Miller, J. Kartez, L. Friess, A. Stoner, E. Bell, C. Schwartz, N. Thomas, S. Miller, B. Eckstrom, and C. Wake (2017). “Progress and Challenges in Incorporating Climate Change Information into Transportation Research and Design” ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems, Vol 23, Iss 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/%28ASCE%29IS.1943-555X.0000377