NOAA 97-R812

Contact: Jeanne Kouhestani FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(202) 482-0415 12/19/97

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded its Administrator’s Award to the group that helped bring the nation’s newest oceanographic research ship, the Ronald H. Brown, into operation.

The group, which worked on the Brown from NOAA’s Atlantic Marine Center in Norfolk, Va., was presented the award recently by NOAA Administrator D. James Baker at a ceremony in Silver Spring, Md.

The Ronald H. Brown is the first large ship NOAA has had built since 1969; thus, there was no "corporate memory" or blueprint to follow in readying this complex research platform for operations in support of NOAA’s mission. The day-to-day strategies, schedules, coordination, and logical workflows had to be worked out by people who had never done so before. The members of the group made significant contributions in preparing the new ship for its operations. They were commended for their task organizational skills, planning talents, common sense, and ability to communicate – which led to getting the ship outfitted and ready to sail ahead of schedule.

Group members include:

James P. Hutton, first assistant engineer, Ronald H. Brown

Allen E. Gary, chief steward, Ronald H. Brown

Larry A. Loewen, electronics technician, Ronald H. Brown

Stephen Macri, electronics technician, Ronald H. Brown

Matthew N. Ofsthus, boatswain, Ronald H. Brown

Jonathan Shannahoff, survey technician, Ronald H. Brown

NOAA Administrator’s Awards are combination honorary/monetary awards given annually in recognition of employees who have made significant contributions to the agency.

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