Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4014 MARCH 2017 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: CONVENTION REVIEW T he Passenger Vessel Association only moves forward because of the dedication of countless volunteers who donate their time, energy, resources and expertise for benefit and betterment of the entire passenger vessel industry. Each year, PVA strives to recognize those who have significantly contributed in a variety of ways to the industry and Association. At the PVA Annual Convention at Maritrends 2017, several very special people were honored for their actions. Safety Awards Three prestigious awards were presented on January 31 at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 in Seattle, WA. Two PVA awards were given by PVA Safety and Security Committee Chair Bob Lawler, Entertainment Cruises and Passenger Vessel Foundation President Rob McMahon, Pinnacle Marine, and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph A. Servidio. The third award was the coveted Rear Admiral Richard E. Bennis Award for Excellence in Maritime Security by Rear Admiral Joseph Servidio, the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Commander. In 2016, the PVA Safety and Security Committee asked for nominees for the Captain Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award and the Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award and were awed by the response they received. The Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award is a prestigious award presented to a vessel operation or a company representative who embraces, amplifies and elevates the safety culture across the entire passenger vessel industry. It is no small feat to earn this award. This year, Ron Panzero, King County Department of Transportation, Marine Division, was selected as the winner for his work toward creating and directing a model for mass evacuation drills on a vessel. Working with eight maritime partners, including local law enforcement, other passenger vessel operators, and the Seattle Maritime Academy, he success- fully orchestrated a simulated mass evacuation and rescue operation with 76 participants for training purposes (see page 11 of the June 2016 FOGHORN Magazine for a detailed description of the mass evacuation drill). “I am truly humbled and honored to have received this award,” Panzero said later.  “I’m also grateful to our leadership here at King County who have supported the safety and training programs we engage in.  Safety is a constant challenge, however there’s a big difference in how a company thinks and behaves when safety is a value as opposed to just a program or a requirement.  When it’s your value, you look at everything you do through the safety lens and engage the entire organization.  PVA Members Receive Service Awards Here’s our secret to success:  We support each other, from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top.  Collaboration, accountability, and respect, those are the building blocks we use as our foundation for everything that we do.” From the large pool of nominees, the PVA Safety and Security Committee selected Kevin Suarez, Statue Cruises, a Hornblower Company, in New York City, as the winner of the Captain Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award. This award is presented annually for a life-saving action by an individual. On July 12, 2016, Dock Attendant Kevin Suarez was on duty when he rescued a five-year- old girl from a capsized recreational vessel 100 feet from Ellis Island. Suarez leapt from a 10-foot seawall into rough waters and swam 75 yards against the current to pull the child trapped with her arm coiled in rope from under the overturned craft. The United States Coast Guard bestowed the Rear Admiral Richard E. BennisAward for Excellence in Maritime Security to representatives of the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport Steamship, Port Jefferson, NY.An award selection committee recognized the ferry’s outstanding achievements and contributions of all in safeguarding our nations Marine Transportation System (MTS), including port areas, adjacent waterways, coastal/shoreside areas, waterfront facilities, and other maritime critical infrastructure. David Clark Excellence in Editorial Awards The FOGHORN authors selected to win the David Clark Excellence in Editorial Awards for their articles published in 2016 are: Heather Henderson, Starlight Cruises, Clearwater, FL Christpher Reckert, ePayment America, Memphis, TN Richard Paine, Jr., Statue Cruises, Jersey City, NJ LCDR Nicolas Jarboe, United States Coast Guard Capt. Bob Lumpp, Hobe Sound, FL n