ABYC bestows its annual awards

EDGEWATER, Md. – The American Boat & Yacht Council revealed the recipients of its annual awards during its 2005 Annual Meeting and Reception held recently in Miami.

Rear Admiral James W. Underwood, director of Operations Policy for the United States Coast Guard and the keynote speaker for the event, helped with the distribution of the awards, which were presented to recognize the significant work of individuals and companies in furthering ABYC’s core mission of boating safety.

The “ABYC Service Award” went to Ward Eshleman, owner/operator of Ward’s Marine Electric. The award is presented each year to an ABYC member who has served ABYC over a long period of time, through active participation on committees, boards or other volunteer venues, in a manner that materially benefits the goals of ABYC. Eshleman has been an ABYC member since 1981 and has not only served on multiple project technical committees, but is a member of the technical board.

The “ABYC Horizon Award” was given to Carl Cramer, publisher of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and co-director of IBEX. The award is presented to an ABYC member who has made significant contributions to the future success and growth of ABYC. Cramer has been an ABYC member for over 12 years and is a past ABYC Board director.

“From his fair and balanced presentation of issues dealing with not only ABYC, but the marine industry as a whole, to his support of education and training, to his tireless efforts to make IBEX the gold standard for other technical boating industry shows around the world – the ideas, foresight and creativity Carl brings to the marine industry on a reoccurring basis are nothing less than extraordinary and will surely benefit our industry for decades to come,” ABYC said in its release.

The “Lifelong Service Award,” a new honor that is being bestowed for the first time, was given to Jack Riggleman for his “tireless dedication and long-standing contribution’s to ABYC, the boating industry and the boating public.” Riggleman’s career in the marine industry spans 35 years. He has been a senior executive, a president/CEO, an engineer, a naval architect, a marine consultant, a technical witness, and an ABYC Board director, in addition to serving on over 12 ABYC PTC’s. He was named by President Nixon to the National Boating Safety Advisory Council and has made boating safety and the development of safe boating standards his life’s work and his passion, ABYC said.

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