Villanova University News

Colonna's Shipyard said Wednesday that its President & CEO, Tom Godfrey, would retire effective December 31, 2023. Randall Crutchfield has been named to replace Godfrey as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Crutchfield is currently Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO). Additionally, Jordan Webb, currently Executive Vice President of Shipyard Operations, will become President & General Manager. Both appointments are effective January 1, 2024.“Randall…

Norfolk, Va. ship repair yard Colonna’s Shipyard announced a series of senior management promotions along with a revised organizational structure effective July 2022.Jordan Webb, currently Vice President, Contracts, has been promoted to Vice President of Shipyard Operations. Randall Crutchfield, currently Colonna’s Chief Experience Officer and Executive Director of Steel America and Weld America, has been named Vice President of Industrial Operations and Facilities. Chris Marsh…

Philly Shipyard announced Wednesday that Jeffrey Theisen will re-join the company as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 8. Theisen fills the vacancy created by last month's sudden passing of Brian Leathers.Theisen previously served as Philly Shipyard's CFO for eight years, from 2007 - 2015. He was involved in the spin-off of Philly Shipyard from its parent Aker American Shipping and subsequent listing of the company on Oslo Axess, and he was instrumental in securing backlog and negotiating various financings, investments and other significant transactions.

Willard Marine, Inc. has appointed Mark Lougheed to its engineering team. Lougheed brings more than 25 years of experience in naval engineering and project management to Willard Marine. Lougheed was most recently at Coast Dynamics Group as an Engineering Project Leader developing technology for SHOXS Seats. He was also the Senior Research and Development Engineer at Zodiac Hurricane Technologies, a division of Zodiac MilPro in Canada, where he managed the development of a line of composite and metal stepped hull planing boats.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) named Todd Leavitt, vice president of the company's Maritime Systems business unit, effective immediately. Leavitt will have executive responsibility for all Maritime Systems programs and products. He will lead all domestic and international programs within the Maritime Systems business area to include naval radars, electronic warfare capabilities, navigation systems, machinery controls, and power and control systems. Leavitt joined the company in 2007 as manager, Surface Navy Futures. In 2010, he was appointed director, Maritime Sensors and Shipboard Integration, and served in that role until his present appointment. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Leavitt served 21 years as a surface warfare officer in the U.S.

MOL has announced the following organizational changes which will take effect in August 2013. These changes will further build the MOL organization as one that customers and employees can continue to count on. Calvin Duffaut, assistant vice president, yield management and corporate communications for MOL (America) Inc. has been promoted to vice president, yield management of MOL Liner and will relocate to Hong Kong. Duffaut joined MOL in 2007 after many years of management experience in trade management, pricing and logistics with Pacer Stacktrain Ltd., American President Lines, and Lykes Bros. Steamship Inc. Duffaut holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University. He will report to Jotaro Tamura, senior vice president, liner yield management, equipment management and network operation.

After six years as President & CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), Mr Arild B. Iversen is moving into a new role as consultant to the parent companies and WWL. Christopher J. Connor, currently Deputy CEO & Chief Commercial Officer, will take over at the helm. Mr. Connor starts as President & CEO on June 21 and will be located at the company’s headquarters in Lysaker, Norway. With over 32 years of experience in the logistics industry, Mr. Connor has held a range of positions…

Anthony Chiarello, president and CEO of TOTE, Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the SHIPPINGInsight 2013 Fleet Optimization Conference, Oct. 22-24 in Stamford, Conn. Prior to TOTE, Inc., the largest of five operating groups owned by Seattle-based Saltchuk Resources, Inc., which includes five companies organized in maritime, logistics and ship management lines of business, Chiarello, was the COO and executive vice president at NYK Logistics (Americas), Inc. Prior to NYK, Chiarello was with the AP Moller/Maersk organization for 16 years.

The theme of the 4th International RoboBoat Competition, sponsored by The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Foundation and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), was “The Four Elements.” Teams of students designed and built autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) that faced challenges involving earth, air, fire and water. The competition was held at The Founders Inn and Spa, Virginia Beach, VA, June 8-12, 2011 and included 15 teams representing colleges and universities around the world.

College Students from the United States and Canada will bring their robotic boats to Virginia Beach to compete for up to $20,000 in prize money. The event, the second International Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Competition, is being sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Washington, DC-based Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Foundation. The competition will occur June 18-21 at the Founder’s Inn and Spa in Virginia Beach. The small lake on the resort’s property will be turned into the site of a simulated shipwreck of a ferry boat with passengers awaiting rescue. The student-built boats will be challenged to navigate a treacherous series of dangerous reefs and dock with the sinking ferry to rescue the passengers.

A team of students from the University of Central Florida (UCF) Robotics Laboratory took first prize at AUVSI and the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)’s First International Autonomous Surface Vehicle Competition (ASVC), held Aug. 7-9 in San Diego, Calif. The first competition of its kind brought together students teams from the U.S. and Canada. Six undergraduate student teams competed for three days at the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center’s TRANSDEC Facility, where they were challenged to navigate a surface-water course with autonomous vehicles built with off-the-shelf components. The ASVC is a student competition based on unmanned boats operating under rules of the waterway including littoral area navigation, channel following and autonomous docking.

Adm. Walter F. Doran became the 30th commander in chief of the world's largest naval command May 4. "We have complete confidence in your ability and we know that you and your commanders and your staff are up to the task," said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark, who was guest speaker during the brief ceremony aboard the historic battleship Missouri moored along Battleship Row here. "Our nation is at war. Adm. Doran, a native of Albany, N.Y., now leads a fleet responsible for more than half the Earth's surface and comprises more than 180 ships, 1,400 aircraft and 232,500 Sailors, Marines and civilians. He took over from Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, who relinquished command of the Pacific Fleet to become commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, headquartered at Camp H.M.

Jan Ivar Nielsen, Aker American Shipping's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Head of Investor Relations has accepted a position with Aker Yards and will be leaving the group. Replacing Mr. Nielsen will be Mr. Jeffrey Theisen, who will join the company immediately as VP of Finance and assume the duties of CFO and Head of Investor Relations after a transition period to take place during the next few months. Theisen is a twenty year resident of the Philadelphia area and a graduate of Villanova University. Mr. processing services to financial institutions and commercial end-users.

The U.S. Navy will christen Freedom, the first littoral combat ship (LCS) at 10 a.m. EDT Sept. 23, during a ceremony at Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, Wis. The future USS Freedom acknowledges the enduring foundation of our nation and honors American communities from coast to coast which bear the name Freedom. States having towns named Freedom include California, Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The 378-foot Freedom will be the first U.S. Navy ship to carry this class designation. Birgit Smith will serve as ship’s sponsor. She is the widow of Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.