CHICAGO – Members of Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago hosted the inaugural meeting of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee at Navy Pier, Monday.
Capt. Matthew Sibley, commander of Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and captain of the port, and Cmdr. Jason Neubauer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago, welcomed more than 50 representatives from Chicago’s marine community.
One goal of the meeting was to elect an interim board of directors and officers. The officers are: President Susan Urbas, Chicago River Rowing and Paddling Center; Vice-President Michael Borgstrom, Wendella Sightseeing; Secretary Warren Marwedel, marine lawyer; and Treasurer Fred Poppe, past president of the National Boating Federation. Board members include: Robert Schak, Explorer Charters; Darren Melvin, Illinois River Carriers Association; Larry Dostal, Illinois Shipmasters’ Association; Jamie Long, Middle River Marine; Scott Stevenson, Westrec Marinas; Scott Baumgartner, Chicago Yachting Association; Sharon Bloyd-Peschin, Chicago Area Sea Kayaking Association and Illinois River Paddling Council; and Erma Tranter, Friends of the Parks.
The CHSC is comprised of organizations and waterway users within the Chicago marine community and will serve as a link between marine stakeholders who have mutual interests in the use of navigable waterways, including the Chicago River and areas of Lake Michigan within a 3-mile radius of Chicago Harbor Locks.
The CHSC is the result of recommendation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment, which was conducted in March 2012 to identify major waterway safety hazards, estimate risk levels, evaluate potential mitigation measures, and set the stage for implementation of selected measures to further reduce risks in the Port of Chicago. The CHSC establishment is a primary recommendation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment.
The Chicago Ports and Waterways Assessment Report is available on the Coast Guard Navigation Center’s website.
More photos available at the Coast Guard News Flickr page.
The newly-elected interim board of directors and officers of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee following the conclusion of the inaugural CHSC meeting at Navy Pier in Chicago, July 15, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Auxiliarist Jonathan Roth.
The newly-elected interim board of directors and officers of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee following the conclusion of the inaugural CHSC meeting at Navy Pier in Chicago, July 15, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Auxiliarist Jonathan Roth.
