Amver Awards; A Success!

Turnout was great for the first Amver awards ceremony in the United States since the late 1990s. USCG Vice Commandant Vivien Crea, Maritime Administration Acting Deputy Director James Caponiti, Rear Admirals Brian Salerno and Jim Watson, along with USCG Chief of Search and Rescue Captain David McBride and Amver Director Benjamin Strong lent their support to the Amver awards ceremony.



Susan Clark, of the Maritime Administration, sang a verse from the Mariner's Hymn before a moving video was debuted by the Amver system. USCG Vice Admiral Vivien Crea gave a personal and thoughtful address to the attendees.



Amver is proud of the 81 U.S. companies earning Amver awards for their dedication to safety at sea. This dedication is demonstrated not only by their participation but by their call to action.

One of the vessels participating in Amver and called upon to assist was the Maritime Administration's training ship Golden Bear, home ported at the California Maritime Academy, which rescued 2 sailors August 17, 2008.

The Amver ceremony would not have been a success without the involvement of Mr. Will Watson. Thank you, Will, for your efforts in bringing the Amver awards to Washington, DC. In addition to Mr. Watson, sponsors Blank and Rome, Inmarsat, Lockheed Martin, NAMMA, and NAMEPA also helped make the awards a reality. The media sponsors were Lloyd's Register Fairplay and Safety at Sea International.

Thank you to everyone who participated. We look forward to returning to the National Press Club next year!

Photo Credit: USCG photo by Beverly Howard
Video Credit: Video prepared by Beverly Howard