Bob Baron
Robert “Bob” Baron is founder of and retired CEO of Baron Weather, Inc. Baron Weather, Inc., a weather technology company based in Huntsville, Alabama, develops weather systems that aid in the detection and dissemination of weather information to customers in the broadcast, government, aviation, and marine and automotive industries across the globe.
After a tornado devastated Huntsville in 1989, Bob founded the company with the mission to develop better tornado detection technology that would save lives. Bob credits the company’s success to great employees; their hard work and innovation that paved the way for the development of a wide array of life saving weather innovations.
Over the company’s 30-year history, its suite of products has expanded to include radar, storm tracking, weather displays, alerting technology, and other critical weather intelligence. Baron Weather, Inc. has brought weather to the cockpit, to the helms of boats, to mobile EMA applications and to millions of automobiles through partnership with XM Satellite Radio.
Continuing his legacy of dedication and innovation in weather, Bob started the Baron Critical Weather Institute. Founded in 2018, the non-profit is focused on implementing a statewide weather observation network that provides real-time data in support of public safety, educational outreach, and economic development – protecting and enriching the lives of the citizens of Alabama.
In 2012 the State of Alabama accepted the Baron Alabama Safety-Net program as an ongoing gift. The program consists of a free alerting app to all state residents (downloaded by more than a quarter million) and a georeferenced two-way communication program provided to each of 68 state EMAs. Continuous advancements in the program will be one of the primary focuses of the Institute.
Prior to founding Baron Weather, Bob was a recognizable figure across the state thanks to a long and prominent career in broadcasting. He spent much of the 60s and 70s working in radio, transitioned to TV, earned the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, and became Chief Meteorologist at a station in Huntsville. The people of North Alabama welcomed Bob into their homes as their trusted weatherman with his well-known slogan “weather in motion” until 1996, when Bob left television to focus on the company full-time.
Bob is an active member of the Huntsville community. He has served terms on the board of directors for the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the Huntsville Better Business Bureau, and Biztech, a local business incubator. Bob has also made many generous donations to local organizations and charities, including Burritt on the Mountain, Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Kids to Love, Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, Huntsville Community Foundation, and many more.
Bob has received numerous awards throughout his career including being inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2020.
Kathi Tew
Kathi Tew serves as both the COO and CFO of the Baron Critical Weather Institute (Baron Institute). Before assuming these roles, she gained over 30 years of extensive experience in management, sales, and marketing, equipping her with a wealth of knowledge. Kathi is deeply passionate about the arts; at the same time, she operated a successful business for over 20 years that focused on teaching and selling her own artwork, often volunteering at summer church camps and schools.
Kathi is a proud graduate of Momentum Huntsville, Leadership Greater Huntsville, and the Huntsville Citizens Academy. She is currently participating in the FBI Citizens Academy class in Huntsville. Kathi actively serves on several community boards and has successfully chaired over forty-five fundraisers in the past fifteen years, supporting various organizations in Huntsville that have a positive impact on people’s lives.