Contact Info:
Wayne Spivak
Director, Media Communications
Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.
mailto:Media@cgauxa.org
http://www.cgauxa.org
516-353-9155
Coast Guard Auxiliary Association Announces New Board of Directors
/24-7PressRelease/ - ST LOUIS, MO - March 10, 2006 - In an dramatic change of structure, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association voted its first non Auxiliary members to its Board of Directors in 68 years. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the business arm of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, founded in 1939.
"Our new Board represents a historic first for our Association.", said Steve Budar, President of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary Association is a 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit company whose function is to provide financial support for the operation of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Auxiliary, which is the uniformed, volunteer non-military component of the US Coast Guard currently has approximately 32,000 members who donate millions of hours each year in providing public education, free vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue missions as well as marine safety and environmental protection for our recreational boaters and the public at-large.
Board members by virtue of their elected positions in the USCG Auxiliary are:
Gene Seibert, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Seibert currently serves as the National Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary,
Steven Budar, President and Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Budar is the National Vice Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
E.W. (Bill) Edgerton, Board Member, Auxiliarist
Mr. Edgerton is the immediate past National Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Elected to the Board were:
Henry G Pratt, Board Member, Auxiliarist
Mr. Pratt is a past National Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and a retired banking executive. Mr. Pratt has been a board member of the United Safe Boating Institute, the BOAT/US National Advisory Council and the Sea Pines Country Club Board of Directors. In his avocation - golf - he has served on the board and as president of the Seniors Men's Golf Association of Hilton Head Island and is presently the chairman of Hilton Head Island Interclub Golf Association.
Robert (Skipp) M. Orr, Board Member, Auxiliarist,
· Dr Orr is Vice President, International Relations for the Boeing Company and President of The Boeing Japan. Concurrently he is Vice Chair of the National Association of Japan-America Societies. Prior to his positions with Boeing, Dr. Orr held positions with Motorola as Vice President and Director of Government Relations for Nippon Motorola and Vice President and Director of European Affairs for Motorola N.V./S.A. in Brussels, Belgium. As an academician, Dr. Orr has served as Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Pacific Rim Studies at Temple University's Japan campus and Director of the Stanford Japan Center in Kyoto, Japan. He has also taught political science at Temple University Japan.
Joseph N Taylor, Board Member, Auxiliarist.
· Mr. Taylor is a past District Commodore of District 8CR. He is a retired International Captain for American Airlines and has had years of corporate business experience as a partner in a REMCO Fastener Company. Mr. Taylor led the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and Coast Guard Auxiliary Association's Operation Life Ring relief effort in the Gulf States following Hurricane Katrina. His efforts resulted in direct financial assistance to many Coast Guard Auxiliary Families who were devastated after the hurricane.
William R Furbee, Board Member, Auxiliarist
Bill Furbee served as a Member of the Board of Directors, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of a ten-branch Community Bank serving northeastern Colorado and retired on June 30, 2005. This concluded a forty-eight year career of success in banking and credit. His prior position was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of a fifty-branch, multi-billion dollar Community Bank serving Colorado and based in Denver. He was involved with personnel management and is a thirty-year Charter member of the Society of Human Resource Managers.
N Ruth Wood, Board Member
Ms. Wood is the President of the Boat U.S. Foundation. She also serves as Vice Chair of Boats and Associated Equipment and the National Boating Safety Advisory Council and Vice Chair of the National Safe Boating Council. Prior to her current position Ms. Wood served as Vice President and Executive Director of the Boat U.S. Foundation directing all Foundation staff and programs.
Edward P. Seebald, Board Member
Mr. Seebald is President and founder of Seebald Associates, LLC, a security consulting group specializing in maritime security. Mr. Seebald is a 24 year veteran of the US Coast Guard with extensive experience in surface operations, training, counter-narcotics, port security and international training. Mr. Seebald's last tour of duty was as Director of Auxiliary for the First District Southern Region which encompassed the New York metropolitan area, where he developed a far reaching and solid working understanding of the unique civilian volunteer organization. Mr. Seebald retired as a Commander in the United States Coast Guard in 2003.
James C Link, Board Member
Mr. Link is currently President of the Coast Guard Foundation. He has over twenty years of successful experience in educational administration and institutional advancement. He designed marketing programs that achieved record enrollments and patient volumes, participated in fundraising campaigns that raised over $700 million, and personally solicited over $100 million in charitable contributions. In addition, Mr. Link has consulted with a variety of non-profit organizations, helping plan, launch and direct capital campaigns at Chilton Memorial Hospital, the General Hospital Center, New Milford Hospital, Sound Shore Health System, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut, and the Western Trauma Foundation for Education and Research.
Robert W Sprague, Board Member
Mr. Sprague is Senior Vice President and co-founder of PCI Communications, Inc., a creative communications agency based in Washington, DC and New York City. PCI provides both strategies -- the research, analysis, ideation, plans, and recommendations for marketing, media relations, and internal communications -- and services including print graphics, online services, video and film production, event production, and interactive materials. The leaders of Fannie Mae, First Union/Wachovia, the Federal Reserve Board, the American Society of Association Executives, and the Society for Human Resource Management are among those who have called upon Bob for his strategic abilities and command of the language. He has provided communications counsel for leading corporations, associations, and government agencies including JPMorgan Chase, Ortho McNeil, Merck, NASDAQ, Lockheed Martin, the International Financial Services Association, the American Association of Museums, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Transportation Safety Board.
"This is the first time we have a Board of Directors comprised of both Coast Guard Auxiliary members and non members. This new board has a wealth of business and financial experience that will dramatically impact our ability to provide the financial resources and management expertise for the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.", remarked Mr. Budar.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary Association is a 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit company whose function is to provide financial support for the operation of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Auxiliary, which is the uniformed, volunteer non-military component of the US Coast Guard currently has approximately 32,000 members who donate millions of hours each year in providing public education, free vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue missions as well as marine safety and environmental protection for our recreational boaters and the public at-large.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer civilians who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Its 35,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.
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