ALCOAST 328/17 - NOV 2017 WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT - 2018 CG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

R 011324 NOV 17
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC //CG-4//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N01650//
ALCOAST 328/17
COMDTNOTE 1650
SUBJ: WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT - 2018 CG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
1. I am pleased to announce the winner of the 2018 Coast Guard Engineer of the
Year Award is LT William Cotta, a Professional Engineer currently serving at the
Coast Guard Marine Safety Center. LT Cotta was selected from a remarkable pool of
nominees based on his educational, professional, and personal achievements. 
   A. As a staff engineer in the Machinery Branch, LT Cotta quickly became the
Coast Guard's leading technical expert on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-as-fuel
technologies within the maritime industry. He led the technical review of some
of the first LNG fueled container ships to achieve Coast Guard certifications and
is currently spearheading Coast Guard involvement in a U.S. Maritime Administration
project to adapt LNG-as-fuel technology for use onboard inland towing vessels.
LT Cotta collaborated with classification societies, shipyards, and engineering
firms to implement recently promulgated international standards and to establish
Coast Guard and domestic policy on the use of LNG-as-fuel. These efforts directly
improved operational safety standards of LNG and provided industry with an effective
solution to overcome ever-tightening emissions regulations. As a member of the Coast
Guard's esteemed Salvage Engineering Response Team, LT Cotta provided naval
architecture and salvage engineering assistance in support of the Coast Guard's
response to Hurricane Harvey. He is also a 2015 graduate of Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, a Registered Professional Engineer in Washington, DC, and actively
participates in the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.
   B. An awards ceremony will be held in Washington, DC on 23 February 2018 to
recognize the accomplishments of LT Cotta. Additionally, as the Coast
Guard Engineer of the Year, LT Cotta has been nominated for the National
Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Federal Engineer of the Year Award.
2. The following nominees are honorably recognized for their remarkable
accomplishments within their respective engineering community:
   A. LCDR Justin Hunt, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Aeronautical Engineering - LCDR
Hunt is recognized for his work as a HC-144 Aircraft Systems Engineer providing
integrated systems engineering and logistical support for 18 surveillance aircraft
and mission systems. His dedication to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA)
Next Generation Air Transport System Project poised the Coast Guard to meet mandatory
FAA mandates for its fleet of 201 aircraft to fly in national airspace. As a graduate
student at John Hopkins University, LCDR Hunt developed a sensor system that decreases
the search effort required for aircraft to locate objects that are otherwise difficult
to detect utilizing traditional sensors and are beyond the range or capability of the
human eye to recognize and identify.
   B. Mr. Jason Roberts, U.S. Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center - Mr. Roberts
is recognized for his work as a Naval Architect. After USCGC THETIS suffered structural
damage after a collision in the Panama Canal, Mr. Roberts and a team of experts deployed
to Panama City, Panama to remove damaged insulation, equipment, and outfit items to
fully inspect the structural damage and determine the likelihood of crack propagation
leading to a hull breach. The temporary repair plan for structural and watertight
integrity developed through Mr. Roberts coordination returned CGC THETIS to her fully
operational status only 17 days after sustaining damage. Mr. Roberts is a member of the
American Society of Naval Engineers and has provided over 40 hours of technical guidance
to Coast Guard Academy Cadets.
   C. Dr. Sharon Zelmanowitz, U.S. Coast Guard Academy - Dr. Zelmanowitz is recognized
for her work as the Head of the Department of Engineering supervising four fully ABET
accredited engineering programs and fostering the growth and engineering interest of
CG Academy cadets. Her leadership and contagious passion has promoted and encouraged
graduating classes to take the Fundamental Engineering Exam, directly supporting the
Academy's pass rate status well-above the national average. Recognizing the Coast
Guard's need for cyber security, Dr. Zelmanowitz spearheaded the initiative to
construct a state of the art cyber lab and classroom from which a cyber center of
excellence can be established at the CG Academy. Dr. Zelmanowitz is a Professional
Engineer in the state of Connecticut and a member of 5 professional societies,
including Society of Women Engineers.
3. Well done to the following distinguished engineers who were deservedly nominated
for the 2018 Coast Guard Engineer of the Year Award:
   A. Mr. Alexander "Chip" Hebenthal, Operations Systems Center
   B. CDR Jeremy Hall, Base Kodiak
   C. LCDR Timothy Dolan, CEU Cleveland
   D. CDR John-David Lentine, AIRSTA Clearwater
   E. CDR Ivan Meneses, Sector St. Petersburg
   F. Mr. Stephen Farthing, C3CEN
   G. Mr. Brandon Natteal, AIRSTA Corpus Christi
   H. Ms. Viviana Nazario, COMMANDANT (CG-43)
   I. Mr. Stephen McGrath, CEU Oakland
4. I applaud all the nominees for their accomplishments along with their Commanding
Officers and supervisors for taking the time to submit well-supported nominations. 
Our successful CG mission execution requires talented engineers that possess in-depth
technical knowledge, strong leadership skills, practical experience, and
professional credentials to provide mission support while effectively and
efficiently sustaining our cutters, boats, aircraft, systems, and shore
infrastructure. I encourage all leaders to recognize their highest performing
engineering professionals by nominating them next year for the Coast Guard
Engineer of the Year Award.
5. Questions regarding the Engineer of the Year Award may be directed to
LTJG Catherine Kavanaugh, COMDT (CG-4A) at 202-475-5553 or via email,
Catherine.E.Kavanaugh@uscg.mil.
6. RDML M. W. Bouboulis, Chief Engineer and Assistant Commandant for Engineering and
Logistics, sends.
7. Internet release authorized.