Johns Receives 2011 Connie Award From CII

press release December 7, 2011

Connie Luncheon Held at The Newark Club, December 5; Stanley Sher Given Lifetime Achievement Recognition. Connie Award recipient is R. Kenneth Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Stanley Sher

The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII) presented the 2011 Connie Award to Robert Kenneth (Ken) Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc., for his significant influence in containerization in worldwide trade and transportation. The Connie Awards luncheon was held Monday, December 5 at The Newark (NJ) Club and marked 40 years of Connie Awards.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Stanley Sher, a maritime attorney in Washington D.C., who has participated in virtually every major legislative initiative and judicial proceeding affecting the regulatory and competition laws governing international shipping in recent history.

"In a career lasting more than 50 years, Ken Johns is universally recognized as a leader of the international containerized ocean shipping industry," said Allen Clifford, CII president. "Today, the majority of all international trade is transported via the system of containerized ocean shipping that Johns was a key participant in developing from its very beginning. His more recent work in innovative port consultation has broadened his contributions to our industry."

William Ralph presented Mr. Johns' award. Mr. Johns served as Sea-Land's president and chief operating officer from 1979-87. Under Johns' leadership, Sea-Land prospered as one of the world's largest, most innovative and successful transportation companies. He joined Sea-Land in 1957 when it was a then-newly organized company in Mobile, Alabama, founded by Malcom McLean. Mr. Johns worked his way through various levels of company management relocating from Mobile to Tampa to Jacksonville to New Orleans and ultimately to New Jersey.

Following his retirement, Ken Johns founded The Hampshire Management Group, Inc., of which he serves as chairman and chief executive officer. The company has been involved in numerous innovative and successful businesses that primarily serve the ocean shipping industry, including, among others: Network America Lines, Inc. (international ocean shipping specializing in trade with the former Soviet Union), Oiltest, Inc. (oil, petrochemical and marine fuel testing and inspection services) and R. K. Johns & Associates, Inc. (maritime business consulting).

In 2001, Johns was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame. He also received Auburn University's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus by the University. He is a Director of the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, a past Chairman of the National Maritime Council and a Director of the McLean Container Center.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is tendered to those who have not been operationally involved in transportation but have made contributions in support businesses. Stanley Sher is a founding partner of Sher & Blackwell, which joined Cozen O'Connor in 2010. Stan represents international ocean carriers as well as other companies before federal agencies, the courts, and Congress. Before founding Sher & Blackwell in 1991, Mr. Sher spent 30 years in private law practice in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Sher spearheaded industry-wide negotiations on shipping law reform that led to the passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998. He previously represented a large coalition of ocean carriers before Congress during its review and passage of the Shipping Act of 1984, and was selected by the Federal Maritime Commission to serve on the federal advisory committee that reviewed the success of that law. Over the past 40 years, Mr. Sher has participated in virtually every major legislative initiative and judicial proceeding affecting the regulatory and competition laws governing international shipping. Mr. Sher was also an inductee into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in 2009. Jeff Lawrence and Marc Fink presented his award.

CII continued its industry education mission by presenting scholarships and grants in a program hosted by CII Scholarship Committee Chairman Steve Blust and co-chair Captain Jon Helmick, USMS. Scholarships include:

Containerization & Intermodal Institute $2,000 award to Johnathan A. Jones, a supply chain management student from Auburn University, R. Kenneth Johns' alma mater, in his honor.

New York Shipping Association honored a deserving candidate from Seton Hall's Supply Chain Management program with $1,000 that was given by NYSA President Joseph Curto to Joe McMonagle.

The Journal of Commerce, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CII each provided a $1,000 grant to Maryland-based Maritime Industries Academy High School Foundation to impact the lives of many students that will help shape the future of the maritime industry. The Honorable Helen Bentley accepted on the school's behalf.

BSY Associates, Inc. has awarded $1,000 annually since 2008 to a deserving student majoring in supply chain management at Rutgers University. This year's recipient was Martin Esser.

CII 2011 Scholarships honored two deserving students pursuing degrees in supply chain management at Rutgers University with $1,000 each to Zona Chen and Edwin Paredes.

Ceres Terminals Inc.'s scholarship was presented to Trevor Mays, a midshipman from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy studying terminal operations.

A $2,500 scholarship on behalf of the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) was given to Midshipman Nathan Roznovsky, also from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Richard A. Simpson Award is named in memory of Mr. Simpson, who served as Chairman and/or President for 20 years, and was the founder of CII's scholarship program. The award of $1,500 went to Kings Point Midshipman Alicen Heinrich.

The Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships have been presented since 1992 by Crowley Maritime Corporation each year at the Connie Awards in the New York area. Recipients this year were Midshipman Benjamin Faulter, Midshipman Megan Laskowski and Midshipman Noah Niday.