International Ship Masters’ Association 2011 Convention Complete
The 121st annual convention of International Ship Masters’ Association (ISMA), held in Detroit, Mich., concluded on Saturday, February 12, 2011. Newly-elected officers were installed on Friday, February 11:
Grand President: Thomas McMullen, of Livonia, MI
Grand 1st Vice President: Seann O’Donoughue, of Owen Sound, ONT
Grand 2nd Vice President: Rebecca Hancock, of Traverse City, MI
Grand Secretary-Treasurer: George R. Skuggen, of Avon Lake, OH
ISMA encourages the development of new licensed maritime officers by offering annual scholarships. This year’s recipients were:
Mike Gamble, cadet from Great Lakes International Marine Training Centre, Owen Sound, ONT
Cory T. Clay, cadet from Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Traverse City, MI
Tommy B. Levasseur, hawsepipe officer candidate from Montreal, Quebec
At its discretion, ISMA bestows awards recognizing mariners for their roles in at-sea rescue and other acts of heroism on the waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Captain Steve Rose, of Miller Boat Line’s ferry William Market, received the Grand President’s Award for a rescue, in which he and his crew (Jacob Market, Bernie Wise, Greg Johnson), saved four people from a downed plane in Lake Erie near Put-in-Bay, OH, on August 13, 2010. “Quick action by Captain Rose and his crew surely prevented a disaster,” read the award.
In addition, a special award for support of ISMA and its objectives was presented to Mark J. Rohn, president of Grand River Navigation Company, Avon Lake, OH.
At the convention, ISMA members heard from a variety of industry and government representatives, and received updates on current issues facing mariners and the maritime industry. Since its beginning in 1886, ISMA has utilized its members’ professional experience in a cooperative role with the US and Canadian Coast Guards, and various other maritime organizations, to promote safety on the Great Lakes and Seaway.
