VSRA News

Rear Admiral Clarke Orzalli, Commander of the Mid Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, will be the Guest Speaker for VSRA's Annual Meeting and General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 19th. The meeting will be held at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel, beginning with lunch at 12:00 noon. On August 29th, RDML Orzalli relieved CAPT Kevin Taylor as the MARMC Commander. With that transition, he became the first flag officer to command a Navy Regional Maintenance Center. MARMC is the Navy's lead RMC; therefore, the other regional RMC Commanders will now report to Admiral Orzalli. He will address the VSRA membership on his vision of aligning the Navy's RMC's with parallel processes and best practices. For more information of Rear Admiral Orzalli, you can read RDML Orzalli's bio.

The preliminary FY-08 NAVSEA Standard Items, SSRAC-responsible Standard Work Templates, and Appendix 4-E to the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM) Volume VII, Chapter 4, have been posted on the SSRAC Website for review and comment in accordance with SSRAC milestones. Visit the site and follow the links to view the items. If you do not see the files, "refresh" your browser and try again. Changes or additions are identified by showing added or changed verbiage in bold Italics. Deletions are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the deletion. New or completely revised SIs are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the ITEM NO, DATE, and CATEGORY lines. Note: An item with a 13 JUL 2006 date but no visible changes indicates that the item was reviewed but no changes were made. These results are PRELIMINARY and are not intended for immediate distribution or invocation. Please review these products carefully and provide any comments you may have NLT 15 SEP 2006, using the 2006 FY-08 Standard Items Comment Form (also available on the web site). Comments relating to subjects that were not reviewed by the subcommittees at the 2006 SSRAC Meeting will be deferred for consideration at the 2007 SSRAC Meeting. Please attach your comment form(s) and e-mail it/them to linda.mayle@navy.mil or ssrac@supship.navy.mil.

OSHA has posted the Fire Protection Module of the Shipyard Employment eTool on the agency's Web site. The tool was development as a product of the SCA-OSHA National Alliance. Representatives from VSRA members BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair and Colonna's Shipyard attended a two-day drafting meeting February 8-9 at the OSHA Norfolk, VA Area Offices. At the meetings, industry and regulatory safety professionals discussed possible hazards from shipyard operations and solutions to assist employers and employees in developing an effective fire protection program. The Shipyard Employment eTool “describes common hazards and possible solutions for tasks performed during shipyard operations.” The webpage contains separate modules in Ship Repair, Ship Breaking, Support Operations and Barge Cleaning. The Alliance program was initiated by former Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health John Henshaw (2001-2004). While serving as head of OSHA, Henshaw stressed compliance assistance, outreach and education in addition to enforcement. Through his stewardship, OSHA promoted safety and health goals through the development of: (1) alliances and partnership with business, labor and community groups; (2) safety and health recognition programs like the voluntary protection program (VPP) and SHARP; and (3) online interactive training tools, including safety and health information pages.

It was learned today that the presenter for the September Contracts Seminar, "Financing in the Government Contracts World" would not be able to make the seminar. This session of the seminar has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date based upon the availability of the presenter. The remainder of the 2006 Contracts Committee Training Seminars can be found at 2006 Contracts Committee Training Seminars. In particular, the next scheduled seminar is on Tuesday, October 24th - "Internal Investigations: A Coherent Response to DCIS, NCIS, FBI and IG Investigations" by John West of Troutman Sanders, LLP

This annual event brings in subject matter experts in the fields of maritime and ship repair health and safety. This year's seminar will focus on the Line Supervisor and Safety Leadership. The Seminar will take place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. The keynote address will give you the latest on the new OSHA Standard for Hexavalent Chromium. Dan Nadeau from Bath Iron Works, a national safety expert, will provide critical information from his shipyard perspective. The remainder of the day will be devoted to four expertly designed "tracks" where you can follow your specific topics of interest. Visit the Event Page for specific schedule information, seminar fees, and registration form.

The most recent meeting of the Joint Industry Navy Improvement Initiative (JINII) was held July 24th, 2006 in Chesapeake, Virginia. JINII Action Items (7/24/06) can be found here. They will also be distributed with the meeting minutes. Additional information may be found on the JINII Website, and on the NST Center Website under the JINII tab at the top of the homepage.

George Yount retired from the U.S. Navy as Deputy Commander for Ship Design Integration and Engineering, Naval Sea Systems Command, in 2001. He is now the Sector Vice president of Ship Construction for Northrop Grumman Corporation providing oversight of operations in Avondale and Pascagoula. Most recently LPD-17 has been delivered by Northrop Grumman and Hurricane Katrina received by Northrop Grumman. George will speak at the American Society of Naval Engineers dinner on Wednesday, September 13th. Details of the event and RADM Yount's career can be found on the ASNE Dinner Announcement (9/13/06). An evening with George Yount promises to be an interesting one.

Chuck Marsh, a Virginia Ship Reapir Foundation Board Member, participated in the recent public meeting addressing the Commonwealth's Economic and Workforce Development. A total of six public meetings were held throughout the Commonwealth. The purpose of the meeting was for the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Pat Gottchalk, to gather inputs from the public to be used in developing his near term agenda in these critical areas. You can find the presentation used by the Secretary at these meetings at the Secretary's website. Following the presentation, attendees were split into groups to develop recommendations. A summary of public commentary and suggestions has now been posted on the Secretary's website as well. Of note, Chuck Marsh is the HR Director of Colonna's Shipyard and Chair's the Governor's Maritime Task Force on Workforce Development.

The Propeller Club of The United States, Port of Norfolk, is honored to host the 80th Annual International Conference and Convention at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, October 10-13, 2006. The theme for our convention is “Building Maritime Momentum: A Rich Tradition Moving Ahead.” I am honored to serve as this year’s Conference Chairman and to invite you to participate in the conference and convention. Specific information can be found on the Propeller Club, Port of Norfolk website. It has been more than 25 years since Norfolk has hosted this event and the committee is planning a successful event and warm Virginia welcome for all participants. As we near Virginia’s 400th anniversary of The Jamestown Landing, visitors will be able to observe the state-of-the-art facilities here in Virginia and to participate in a forum that will offer an in-depth look at the latest industry developments and their global impact. The forum will include great panels with knowledgeable speakers and will provide opportunities to meet with partners in the maritime industry and create solutions. Please join us to celebrate the maritime industry and to further our mutual interests for a safe, secure, efficient, and viable maritime industry. Local maritime members should fill out the Propeller Club Convention Registration Form now to take advantage of special pricing. In order to make such an event successful, it requires strong support from our maritime partners. Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to spotlight your company to many industry leaders and to members of more than eighty national and international clubs that have been invited to attend. Attached is a listing of sponsorship levels and participation details. We hope you will take this opportunity to sponsor this year’s conference and convention. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to seeing you in October. Sincerely yours, John F. Reinhart Conference Chairman

The 20th Annual association golf tournament is Tuesday, August 22nd. This year the tournament proceeds will benefit the Virginia Ship Repair Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational foundation. VSRF was formerly known as TMTI. Leigh Kennedy, Earl Industries, is again the chair for the event. For the past 18 years, her exceptional leadership is what has made the previous tournaments great successes. We are very happy she is leading the team for the 20th rendition. The tournament will be held at Bayville Golf Club. Because the proceeds will benefit VSRF, donations are tax deductible. You can download the Golf Tournament Application here. The 144 golfer slots are completely filled as of August 1st, with a Waiting List. Please note that sponsorships which include golfers in the package will be assured tee times, so the only way to get golf slots at this point is to sign up for a sponsorship.