Mill Valley, CA – January 5, 2021 – 2020 marked the 20th Anniversary of CustomWeather, Inc. In spite of all the challenges that 2020 has presented to the world, CustomWeather continues to thrive and provide valuable weather data to clients around the world. This would not be possible without the incredible team of knowledgeable and talented individuals that are the CustomWeather team.
Our first post of 2021 introduces just a few of the remarkable people that work tirelessly to ensure our clients have the highest quality, most accurate and most timely weather data products available today.
Get to know us! Click below to learn more about a few of the many individuals that make up the CustomWeather family.
GEOFF FLINT, President and CEO
Mill Valley, CA
I am one of the founders of the company and I am presently on year #20 as President & CEO. I assist with both the technical and business sides of the company. I wrote much of the original software for the company and continue to assist with the maintenance of that software. On a daily basis, I’m very involved in running and managing the business.
What is your background education/experience that brought you to CustomWeather?
I have a background in both Economics and Atmospheric Sciences which inspired me to start CustomWeather (a B.A. in Economics from Bowdoin College and a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison). Prior to starting CustomWeather, I spent several years at WeatherLabs, Inc. as an Online Climatologist.
What is it about CustomWeather that makes it a special place to work?
We’ve got a great team at CustomWeather that covers all corners of the globe. We’re small in numbers but big in heart. We’re all connected virtually and have a passion for weather. We have a number of very long-time employees which is a testament to the company.
Outside of CustomWeather, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I have 2 kids, Gavin (14) and Gabby (9), and I’m married to Susan who also works at the company. We reside in the redwoods of Mill Valley, California. We’re on year #15 of working together so we must be doing something right! My favorite activities are skiing, tennis, hiking, and boogie boarding at Stinson Beach. I’m also involved in coaching the kids’ soccer teams. I also love travel, particularly to Kauai and Whistler.
KEVIN LEVEY, VP of Operations & Project Manager
Sausalito, CA
I joined CustomWeather in 2005. I manage all model data download and processing. I also develop and maintain client websites and model data needs. Additionally, I manage the technical team and their projects.
What is your background education/experience that brought you to CustomWeather?
I had wanted to be a meteorologist since I was three. I am originally from South Africa, where I completed my MS in Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and then was encouraged to do my PhD in the USA (University of Virginia). However, I decided I would prefer to continue my professional career in the commercial weather industry and joined CustomWeather in 2005. I had started South Africa’s first weather website on 1 JAN 1995, and it continues to this day. I began by providing clients in South Africa with weather web content. That service went hand-in-hand with what CustomWeather was doing, so it was a natural fit when I joined.
What is it about CustomWeather that makes it a special place to work?
The fact that most everyone employed gets on with the job based on their experience and without needing constant supervision. Because most client projects are customized, we rarely, if ever, do the same project twice, so it’s always good to be working on new projects and discovering new technologies with the tech team.
Outside of CustomWeather, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I currently live in Sausalito, California, which is the first little sea-side town north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I moved here in 2005 because I was an active triathlete at the time, and there are tons of places to run and bike and swim without having to get in your car to go find the perfect spot to do any of those activities. I no longer do triathlon, but have been actively running long distance (marathon and now mostly half-marathons) since 2007.
AGUSTIN DIAZ, Chief Meteorologist
South San Francisco, CA
I set up clients with our data feed, which includes creating custom products for them. I have been working with CustomWeather since its inception.
What is your background education/experience that brought you to CustomWeather?
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Science: Concentration in Meteorology. I was hired by CustomWeather by Geoff Flint, who was my coworker at a now defunct weather company.
What is it about CustomWeather that you think makes it a special place to work?
It is a small company, so it has always had a cozy and easy atmosphere. And I get to do what I like to do best. Check the weather!
Outside of CustomWeather, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I like to go cycling, running, hiking, snowboarding, paddle boarding and camping, and whenever possible go on road trips. Of course, I like to geek out on the weather. I live in South San Francisco.
NENAD RANKOVIC, Meteorological Software Engineer
Belgrade, Serbia
I have been working as the MOS software developer for CustomWeather since 2013. I also coordinate the work and serve as a liaison between Geoff and Kevin and our Belgrade Team when in-person discussions are required. I am pictured here with CustomWeather President, Geoff Flint, when we first met in person in Oslo, Norway.
What is your background education/experience that brought you to CustomWeather?
Prior to my work for CustomWeather, I had 13 years’ experience working with weather forecasting companies from western Europe and the United States on complex projects. A few of my specialties include Meteorological Research, Data Analysis, Data Mining, Ensemble Modeling and Statistical Forecasting, which is meteorological data analysis with a focus on finding the best possible way to use data from the past (“historical data”) in order to predict the future, identifying trends and patterns as well as effective predictors using the complex mathematical formulas and regressions.
What is it about CustomWeather that makes it a special place to work?
Working with the very nice people at CustomWeather – with Geoff in first place. He has never acted like “a big boss” who doesn’t care about the people working for his company and who thinks he “knows everything”. From the very beginning he has been very kind and our cooperation has gone well and we have established a solid Belgrade Team to support CustomWeather’s goals. I have also enjoyed partnering with Kevin Levey and Agustin Diaz on different projects.
Outside of CustomWeather, how do you enjoy spending your time?
I like to travel, but 2020 has been a very unique year with almost no travel or vacation. My only trip in 2020 was a very short visit to Dubai. I like to swim, so I try to go to the pool 2 times a week (again, 2020 has very much limited that activity), I also like to go to the mountains both in winter and summer … and to go to the warm sea/ocean when I have an opportunity. I live in Belgrade, Serbia – my country is small (not more than 6.5M people) but Belgrade is a big city with a population of about 1.7M. I’m married, 52 years old and my son is 20 years old – he is studying IT at the University of Belgrade (at Mathematical faculty).
TOM HAUF, Senior Sales Executive
Buffalo, NY
I have been working for CustomWeather, in one form or another, since 2003!
What is your background education/experience that brought you to CustomWeather?
I studied meteorology at Florida State University and served in the US Air Force, prior to a 20-year run as a television weatherman. Weather is my passion.
What is it about CustomWeather that you think makes it a special place to work?
CustomWeather is very unique, offering a wide array of historical, real-time, and forecast weather solutions. The backbone of the company’s forecast arm is our proven, high resolution forecasting model, the CW100. There isn’t a better model out there. I enjoy providing solutions to our global client base. I look forward to travelling again to the many shows and exhibitions we attend. CustomWeather has a great team and we are always innovating.
Outside of CustomWeather, how do you enjoy spending your time?
Outside of work I am a passionate sports fan following Buffalo Bills football, Toronto Blue Jays baseball, and Manchester United soccer. My wife is English and we enjoy our frequent travels to the UK. We have resided in the snow country of Upstate New York for 32 years now and I still love snow (my wife doesn’t), particularly big snow storms. Weather has been my passion since childhood. I used to play drums in a number of bands back in the day but lost touch with music as my weather career moved forward and my family grew. I still would like to get back to music, even if only in a small way, at some point in the future. My wife and I attend a lot of concerts and count Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay, and ELO as three of our favorite shows. We have always had lots of pets. At one point we had four dogs and five cats. Now we just have two dogs, one that has been blind for close to 3 years.