News

The Propeller Club Port of Norfolk celebrated National Maritime Day virtually on May 22, 2020. As we could not gather together this year, we believed it was still important to honor those who sail the rivers and seas and keep the ships afloat. 

The one-of-a-kind virtual event included:

-Wreath Laying Ceremony (courtesy of the Virginia Pilots, McAllister Towing and Moran Towing)

-Awards and Recognitions

-Special Remarks from Members of the Maritime Community

Thank you to all who joined us. If you weren’t able to attend, you can still watch the event here:
https://youtu.be/nDLZpPjwcII

Special thanks to Primm Advertising for drone footage and video compilation.

Kevin Speers - T Parker Host

Marilynn Ryan - AW Trucking

Cynthia Gibson - Carroll Trucking  Inc.

David Carmody - Military Sealift Command

On December 10, 2019, The Propeller Club Port of Norfolk announced the Propeller Club Norfolk Judy Barrett Fund at the organization’s annual meeting.

Named in honor of the club’s long-time officer and board member, Judy Barrett, the fund will support the Nauticus Foundation’s Sail Nauticus program. Sail Nauticus serves as a community sailing center and school for a diverse group of need-based students from Hampton Roads. These students are provided an experiential form of education that develops academic, social, and leadership skills through sailing and STEM principles while introducing them to careers in the maritime industry.

For nearly 20 years, Judy has served on the Propeller Club Port of Norfolk’s board in several capacities, including board member, secretary, and advisor. She also represented the Norfolk chapter on the International Propeller Club board, where she served as regional vice president and treasurer for ten years. She has volunteered countless hours of her time to ensure the club’s success, directly impacting donations to numerous local maritime charities.

Judy is a Hampton Roads native and senior vice president of private banking for Townebank’s Norfolk corporate offices. In addition to the Propeller Club, she has served on the boards of the Virginia Maritime Association, Festevents, Nauticus, the Schooner Virginia, and Park Place School—which is a non-profit organization that benefits at-risk students. The Propeller Club Port of Norfolk established this fund in recognition of Judy’s dedication to the community and her passion for serving others.

“I am extremely honored that The Propeller Club Port of Norfolk has created an endowment in my name to ensure that local children are able to attend the Nauticus Sailing program for many years to come,” said Judy. “Without this program, many children would not be exposed to water safety, learning to sail, and establishing life skills through teamwork both on land and water. Words can’t express enough how much I appreciate this kind gift and legacy. I will treasure this always and watch it grow with contributions.”

If you are interested in contributing to the Propeller Club Norfolk Judy Barrett Fund, please contact Nauticus Development Director Rehn West at Rehn.West@norfolk.gov.

 We are pleased to welcome our newest members to the Club!

Joesph Cartoski - J-Sea Ship

Chip Chappell - CTG

Bryan Hall - Barnhart Crane & Rigging

Cody McMahan - Host Agency LLC

John Morris - EA Engineering 

Rosalie Wyatt - CCROA/Ready Community 

Leia Gramaldi - Bay Diesel

Kathy Bryan - Shipyard Staffing, LLC

Matt Carroll - Carroll Trucking Inc.

Randall Crutchfield - Colonna's Shipyard

Tiffany Curran - Primm Advertising

Prominent maritime industry stakeholder Niels Aalund has been elected President of the International Propeller Club. Mr. Aalund will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, currently serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice-President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA). 

"I consider it a great honor and a true highlight of my career to be selected to lead such a storied group. This is an exciting time for the International Propeller Club," said Aalund, adding, "On behalf of our members worldwide I would like to thank our past President, U.S. Coast Guard RADM (ret.) Joel Whitehead, for the outstanding job he did, while at the same time, taking our International Propeller Club to a new level. "

Robert Coles - Walashek Industrial & Marine Inc.

Wiley Grandy - Crenshaw, Ware & Martin PLC 

Matthew McKeen - CMA CGM

Mike Seluga - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. 

Rhen West - Nauticus

Ricky Wiatt - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.

Today’s Propeller Club, Port of Norfolk Member Spotlight is shining on Captain George E. Watkins.

Captain Watkins joined the Propeller Club, Port of Norfolk in 1962 because he “wanted to meet the movers and the shakers in the maritime community.” A mover and shaker himself, he says sharing their stories has been his favorite part of membership.

He appreciates the informality and welcoming nature of the Propeller Club events. “We have members from all parts of the maritime industry in every phase of their careers, and everyone has a friendly attitude.”

His greatest memory from his time in the Propeller Club is from 1994. Serving as the Club’s president, he received the request and granted the approval of funds to help bolster the Old Dominion University Propeller Club. Today, 25 years later, we continue our support of the ODU chapter, sharing funds and offering a variety of networking opportunities to the members.

Captain Watkins acquired his Unlimited Pilots and Master’s License in 1962 and worked as a Virginia Pilot for 42 years. During that time, he held the role of vice president of the Virginia Pilot’s Association for two years, and for almost half of his career, he worked as a special pilot for aircraft carriers and the USS Wisconsin. He also served as a member of the Board of Branch Pilots of the Commonwealth of Virginia for 20 years.

He says what he likes most about the ports of Virginia and the surrounding maritime businesses is “the way we share information and work together.”

When we asked what advice he’d give to anyone just now starting their maritime career, he said:

“Never tell someone you’ll have their cargo there tomorrow.
Never tell an untruth. You are only as good as your word.
Stay on your side of the channel.
And keep a bright stern light.”

In addition to the Propeller Club, Captain Watkins has also been a member of the following organizations:

• Virginia Conference on World Trade (Past Chairman)
• Portsmouth Museums Foundation (Past President)
• Virginia Maritime Association (Board of Directors, 1989 to present)
• Society of Maritime Industries
• Portsmouth Port and Industrial Commission

Throughout his career, he has received several awards, including:

• Lifetime Membership Award for Outstanding Service to the Organization, Virginia Maritime Association (2019)
• The Alli Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cultural Life of Greater Hampton Roads, Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads (2006)
• The Eure Award for Outstanding Maritime Professionalism, The Propeller Club Port of Norfolk (2000)
• Maritime Person of the Year, Hampton Roads Global Commerce Club (1999)
• Professionalism in the Maritime Industry Award, Society of Maritime Industries (1998)

Hear more stories and advice from Captain Watkins at one of our networking events! View our calendar and membership opportunities here: http://propellerclubnorfolk.org/events

On National Maritime Day, we honor the men and women who, throughout our history, have served with professionalism, dedication, and patriotism in the United States Merchant Marine.  We recognize these seafaring merchant mariners for helping to fuel our economy, maintain our sea power, and support our national security.

Merchant mariners extend goodwill into all parts of the world, serving as a peaceful United States presence on international waterways.  Today, American mariners facilitate the import and export of billions of dollars of goods, including fuel, agricultural products, and raw materials through the Marine Transportation System.  They are also among the first to respond to help their fellow citizens in the wake of national disasters.

During times of war, merchant mariners courageously sail into combat zones to provide sealift for the Department of Defense, carrying weapons and supplies to America’s fighting forces.  In every conflict, United States citizen mariners have answered the call to duty and risked their lives.  Some have sadly made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Because the United States Merchant Marine plays a central role in bringing American goods to market and in bolstering our military readiness abroad, we must encourage more people to pursue career opportunities on America’s waterways and the oceans of the world.  For this reason, I recently signed an Executive Order to help veterans of the Armed Forces transition seamlessly into civilian careers in the United States Merchant Marine by allowing them to apply relevant military training and experience toward becoming credentialed merchant mariners.  This will help support a robust, well-equipped, and safe merchant fleet crewed by well-trained mariners.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as “National Maritime Day” to commemorate the first transoceanic voyage by a steamship in 1819 by the S.S. Savannah.  By this resolution, the Congress has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2019, as National Maritime Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to mark this observance and to display the flag of the United States at their homes and in their communities.  I also request that all ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

Paul Davis - The Port of Virginia

Trey Dudley - First Financial Group

Christopher Ford -  Colonna's Shipyard

Jimi Olson - Colonna's Shipyard  

Karter Rivera - Carter Machinery 

Fernando Rodriguez - TMX Intermodal Virginia 

Peter Hansen - Capes Shipping Agencies 

John Shaw - Colonna's Shipyard

Emily Studebaker - Colonna's Shipyard

Ian Whelan - Colonna's Shipyard 

Welcome to the Club!