Ohio State University News

U.S.-based offshore wind developer Vineyard Offshore on Monday announced it has named Alicia Barton as the company’s new CEO, starting in January.Barton will take over for Lars T. Pedersen, who has led the company since it was founded in 2022 and before that led the team developing Vineyard Wind, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States, now under construction.“I had the pleasure of working with Alicia during the very early days of the Vineyard Wind project and know she brings an outstanding mix of skills and talent to Vineyard Offshore,” Pedersen said.

Reserve, La. based DSC Dredge announced it has appointed Doy Dugan to succeed Kevin Dolan as vice president and chief financial officer.Dugan is a CPA with an MBA and brings to the role more than 30 years of global financial and operational experience working for both public and private companies. Most recently he served as CFO at Diversified Well Logging and prior to that, he held the CFO position at Advanced Drilling Solutions and Spartan Offshore. Dugan began his career at Falcon Drilling Company…

Brendan Smith brings more than a decade of maritime experience to his role as president of Seaward Services, a marine services company specializing in the operation, maintenance and repair of government and privately owned vessels. The company is part of the Hornblower Group.During his 6.5 years with the U.S. Navy, he served aboard the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe, and his roles included chemistry and radiological controls assistant (CRA), quality assurance officer (QAO) and combat operations instructor.

Hornblower Group announced that Brendan Smith, formerly VP of Engineering, NYC Ferry, has been named President of Seaward Services, Inc. Smith replaces John Keever, who has retired after 50 years in the industry, and will report to Scott Thornton, COO of Hornblower Group’s Ferries and Transportation Division.As President of Seaward Services, Inc., Smith will oversee the operation and maintenance of both government and privately owned craft, including High-Speed Craft, Range Craft, Experimental Craft, Training Craft, Research Vessels and Unmanned Surface Vessels.

Ports of Indiana (POI) announced that it has hired Bernard (Ben) Weithman as the new Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon port director.Weithman will lead port operations and business development for the Mount Vernon port. His industry experience includes more than 30 years in business development, startup and long-term sustainable operations. A senior-level executive in the transportation, agriculture and freight sectors, he most recently served as a senior transportation market consultant at IHS Markit.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Commerce receives thousands of inquiries from businesses looking to export, many of which involve licensing questions. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), together with other USG agencies, is responsible for export licensing and controls. BIS export licenses may be required for items (commodities, software, or technology) with proliferation, military, or terrorist uses, or which warrant control for other reasons. Export licensing requirements can apply to a wide array of products, including marine technologies.

Vigor has announced the addition of Jackie O’Brien to Vigor’s leadership team. As EVP of Strategy and Business Development, O’Brien will report directly to the CEO and play a key role in driving the development and execution of Vigor’s growth strategy as a leading industrial company. She will oversee business development for all Vigor business units including defense, aerospace, infrastructure, alternative energy and marine.O’Brien comes to Vigor following a twenty-five year career at Alcoa and Arconic, created by  Alcoa’s separation into two independent companies in 2016.

Retired Vice Adm. Richard Hunt will assume the position of president of the Surface Navy Association (SNA) at the association’s annual symposium in January. Hunt succeeds retired Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, who has been president since 2013.Hunt is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was commissioned in February 1976 through the Officer Candidate School program in Newport, R.I. He attended Naval Post Graduate School, receiving a Master of Science in Telecommunications Systems Management in March 1988.He has served in USS Sampson (DDG 10), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS Roark (FF 1053), and has commanded USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58).

Solid-State Welding Processes Being Developed for NASA Manufacturing Programs Could Significantly Reduce Workboat Fabrication CostsWhether it is for a tug boat, cargo vessel, or an offshore supply ship, much of the workboat fabrication industry is located along the Southern Coast of the U.S. But a visit to any one of the workboat facilities in that area (or any other in the country) would reveal antiquated and archaic fabrication processes used seventy years ago. The workboat manufacturing process is very expensive, labor intensive, and has not really changed since World War II.

Jordan Tilton has rejoined the Marine Jet Power (MJP) sales team as Program Manager responsible for key account management and aftermarket business development in the Americas.Tilton has more than 15 years experience in the commercial marine sector. He began his career on the Great Lakes captaining high speed ferries and also worked as a captain on board yachts and commercial vessels in the Gulf Coast and Caribbean before joining U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air…

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that Jon Arena has been named vice president and chief counsel of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. He will succeed Jim Gildea, who retired on April 1. Arena will be a key member of the law department’s leadership team, reporting directly to Kellye Walker, executive vice president and chief legal officer, and indirectly to Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin. In this role, he will be responsible for providing legal advice and counsel to senior management and overseeing and coordinating the provision of legal advice to Newport News. Arena comes to HII from Boeing, where he served as senior counsel, Boeing Global Services, since 2015. Prior to Boeing, he served as a senior attorney at NASA from 2002 to 2015.

DNV GL’s Ellen Crivella was honored with the 2016 Rising Star Award at the Women of Wind Energy (WoWE) luncheon at the 2016 AWEA Windpower Conference and Exhibition. Each year, the Rising Star Award recognizes a woman relatively new to wind energy who has already made significant professional contributions and shown unusual talent, dedication and innovation in their wind industry work. As DNV GL’s global head of practice for environmental and permitting services, Ellen has been involved in the siting, permitting and financing of over 10,000 MW of renewable energy projects. Ellen has recruited key talent and quickly established DNV GL as an expert advisor in avian and other wildlife issues for wind power.

Horizon Offshore, Inc. announced the election of John T. Mills to its board of directors. John T. Mills is senior vice president and chief financial officer of Marathon Oil Corporation. Mills joined Marathon Oil Company in 1976 as a tax specialist. He became chief tax counsel in 1984. In 1986, he became director of taxes and energy for USX Corporation. He was appointed vice president of taxes for USX in 1987. In September 1998, Mr. Mills was appointed senior vice president of finance and administration at Marathon Oil Company. Prior to joining Marathon, Mr. Mills was employed by Coopers and Lybrand for three years. Mr. Mills earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Ohio University in 1969 and a law degree from Ohio State University in 1973.

PCCI, Inc. (Alexandria, Virginia) announced that Eric Sites has joined the engineering staff in their Alexandria office as a Senior Engineer. He will be responsible for mooring design, ocean engineering and ocean facility construction management. Sites brings to PCCI experience as a Naval Architect, Project Engineer and Hydrodynamicist emphasizing hydrodynamic and hydrostatic analysis of floating structures, and pier/wharf construction and renovation. He possesses a Master of Science in Ocean and Coastal Engineering from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, at the University of Hawaii (SOEST), and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University.

It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year. "These recipients demonstrate the type of visionary, multidisciplinary thought that helps the U.S. Navy anticipate and adapt to a dynamic battlespace," said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR's director of research.

PG Industries today announced executive appointments effective June 1. Vince Morales, currently vice president, investor relations, will become vice president, investor relations, and treasurer. Morales will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Frank Sklarsky. Since joining PPG in 1985, Morales has advanced through various finance leadership roles of increasing responsibility. He was appointed to his current position in 2007. Morales earned a Bachelor of Science from Robert Morris University and an MBA from The Ohio State University. Eric Thiele, currently corporate treasurer, will become vice president and business controller, global architectural coatings and protective and marine coatings.

As editors, much of our time is spent reading and evaluating, examining a wealth of information to help us determine in which direction particular market segments are heading; trying to forecast “what's hot ... what's not.” Given that this is the Offshore Annual edition, much of my reading and discussions of late have centered on offshore oil and gas production, and the myriad of political and market forces that ultimately determine the "what," "where's," "when's" and "how much" of offshore drilling. My insightful conclusion: Throw all of the reports and data in a trusty centrifugal, give it a whirl, grab the third thing to fly out and you are just as likely to be on the mark. Or not!

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products named Greg Stauffer to the position of vice president of Sales Support, effective October 15, 2007. Mr. Stauffer will oversee all sales support, including Inside Sales, Application Engineering, Customer Service, Training, Recruiting and Business Systems for the United States. He will be based in Florence, South Carolina. Stauffer received a bachelor’s degree in education from Morningside College. Mr. Stauffer has been with ESAB for 28 years and served as Territory Sales Manager, Area Sales Manger, Regional Sales Manager, and Vice President of Sales.

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd (NYSE: EXM), an owner and operator of dry bulk carriers and an international provider of worldwide seaborne transportation services for dry bulk cargoes, announced that Charalampos Mazarakis has been appointed as the Company's Chief Operating Officer. Mazarakis will assume his position in mid May 2010. The company also announced that Pavlos Kanellopoulos has been appointed as the company's Chief Financial Officer. Kanellopoulos will assume his position in early April 2010. Mazarakis has 20 years of experience in finance and operations positions, mostly at a senior level. Mazarakis started his career in 1991 at Procter & Gamble in Greece.

TOTE Maritime Alaska announced that Michael Noone will assume the role of President, January 1, 2016. Noone joined TOTE Maritime Alaska as Chief Operating Officer in August 2013, bringing 28 years of experience in the shipping and logistics field. As COO, he has been responsible for creating strategic and operating plans for sales, pricing and operations. Noone received his bachelor’s degree from Wagner College and is certified by some of the nation’s top executive programs in Logistics…