Class Notes

1953
Chester R. Tweedie writes us that he is “Still living well—the best of both seasons—summer and fall in Bucksport, Maine and winter and spring in Palm Harbor, Florida.”
1956
Hugh K. Brunson: “After 22 years as Business Manager for a Doctor, I am retired for the last time. Recently visited the World Trade Center in New York and then a cruise to Quebec.”
1959
Roger Marks and daughter, Laurie Flood ’93 attended the Alumni Senior Banquet. They sat with senior (and granddaughter/niece) Jennifer Burton, daughter of Lance ’90 and Lisa Burton.

Sea Stories

Moments in a Squall

I am Captain of the U.S. Brig Niagara based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Niagara is a square-rigged ship owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and operated by Flagship Niagara League. It was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of the Niagara that fought in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

Niagara was the relief flagship for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British squadron and is known for the quote, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.”

Our mission is to share the history of Niagara, the battle, the War of 1812 and the preservation of square-rig seamanship. We offer two-week sail training programs on the Great Lakes for high school, college and adult students who become immersed as part of the crew and operation of the ship. The ship serves as a unique platform to provide impactful experiences for all who sail on board.

A memorable moment for me occurred a couple of summers ago on the first night of a passage with new trainees. There had been a lingering, temperamental weather pattern that had developed and was being monitored by the on-watch.

I was First Mate and off-watch in my cabin when I heard rain coming into the open skylights of the wardroom, which told me it was unexpected. The ship is equipped with radar and other electronics, but a squall had developed undetected nearby.

The Captain and I arrived on deck as the wind continued to increase to what would become about 40 knots. We had to turn the ship downwind as is done with square-rigged ships,

1960
Wallace R. Cunningham still owns the Wishing Well Motel on Cape Cod, but now from South Carolina. He also reports: “Have provided Port Security Audits to the Port of Providence, Rhode Island for the last few years. Met with four [MMA] graduates in Charleston, South Carolina, this year—South East Atlantic Chapter. Hope we get together again. Plan to attend my 60th in 2020.”
1964
Perry Mattson drove one of the Wreaths Across America escort vehicles to Arlington, Virginia in December 2018. Mattson was chauffeuring Gold Star mothers. He and his wife, Pearl, live in Surry, Maine.
1964
Thomas W. Oughton writes: “My picture appears on page 235 of the 1964 Trick’s End. After sailing, I married Kathy Patterson in 1965 and we have three children: Stephen, Teresa and Tammy. We bought an abandoned dairy farm in Ephratah, New York and converted it into an asparagus, blueberry and perennial flower business. After receiving my M.S. from Union College in New York, I taught physics for 25 years at Gloversville High School.”

Building on Bedrock

There’s much in the news about people in the tech world, wielding vast amounts of money that have little to do with so-called “brick-and-mortar.” But the job of Joe Guziewicz ’94 as Vice President of Construction for Bedrock Management in Detroit, Michigan has everything to do with concrete, steel and all the processes and materials related to building construction projects that are reshaping the heart of Detroit. He oversees budgets totaling more than $2 billion.

Bedrock hired Guziewicz in 2015, and the construction projects for which he is responsible include: building an 800-foot high-rise (tallest in the city), a new criminal justice center, and a mixed-use office, retail, residential and green space site. He leads a team of 11 construction professionals, including project directors, managers, and coordinators.

It’s a role he could hardly have imagined when he graduated from MMA in 1994 and first worked as a mate aboard a sea-going hopper dredge. However, Guziewicz’s experience before MMA in the Marine Corps and then as a “non-traditional” enrolled Nautical Science major provided him with a toolbox of skills that have led to an impressive career progression.

“Those experiences prepared me to confront challenging situations,” Guziewicz says, “and apply critical thinking skills to handle difficult and stressful issues. Learning the necessary skills to be successful in the maritime industry has translated and served me well in the field of construction.”

After a brief stint on the dredge, Guziewicz worked as a mate for Europa Cruises in 1995 before moving on to Empress Casino in Indiana where his career changed to facilities management that included a casino riverboat and shoreside hotel.

1965
Upon graduation, Sam Rowe shipped for three years in the Merchant Marine, was in the Navy Reserve and attained full lieutenant grade. He worked at Woods Hole Institute on the Albatross for 3-6 months during the MEBA strike, then shipped with Gulf. He joined General Electric, where he worked for 42 years, retiring in 2010. He still consults with SNC Lavalin and has worked most of his GE career in North Africa and Indonesia. He sent us a picture of him (right) and Gene Rinker ’60 (left) at the Mass Maritime Tailgater, Fall 2018. Rinker is also a GE retiree and used to be in charge of International Service where Rowe worked several jobs for him in the 70’s and 80’s. Rowe and his wife, Elizabeth live in Mashpee, Massachusetts.
1967
On November 8, the U.S. Naval Submarine League presented Fred Harris with one of two Distinguished Civilian awards, which are given in recognition of submarine professional excellence. The event was attended by hundreds, all having vested interest in U.S. nuclear submarine programs. Harris (right) caught up with Larry Wade ’64 (left) at the 2019 Alumni Senior Banquet at the Cross Center, Bangor, Maine in February.
1970
Phillips E. Stevens is enjoying retirement from The Cricket Press. He reports that he is “still playing with old cars and tractors.”

First Person

Sailing Sky and Sea

I fulfilled my lifelong dream of flying fighters two years after leaving MMA.

MMA provided the four-year degree I needed for flying and a Third Mate license to pursue sailing, which I did after my career in the Air Force.

Though I was not a pilot (due to my eyesight), I was able to fly as Weapon Systems Officer in the rear cockpit of the F-4E Phantom. It was an incredible experience and more fun than I could have imagined.

We were constantly training, which encompassed many different things like dropping bombs, strafing targets, dog fighting, and flying really fast at very low altitude.

The second half of my military career involved working as a staff officer, which included two tours at the White House as a military liaison within the Executive Office of the President. I was there during the Clinton-Bush transition, the 911 attacks, and the Bush-Obama transition.

The work of which I am most proud is the deployment of the RC-26B surveillance aircraft. In 2003 I was the RC-26B Program Manager and was tasked by the Pentagon to support ground troops in Iraq. The workload was arduous but we had incredible success. The reason I am so proud of this accomplishment is that we saved countless American lives.

Before my Air Force retirement, I decided to pursue a second career at sea. I called the Coast Guard and asked what I needed to renew my Third Mate license. I had to take 11 STCW courses and the Third Mate test all over again, which I did in about 10 months.

1971
From Fred Therrien (shown right): “Just wanted to let you know the class of ’71 is still out there. A few months ago, I got underway from San Diego on the brand new amphibious war ship USS Portland LPD-27. We sailed up to Portland, Oregon for her commissioning.

When we picked up the Bar Pilot just outside of Astoria, it was Curt Nehring (left). We had a nice little reunion on the bridge. We hadn’t seen each other since Pensacola, Florida in 1971. Curt was in flight school and I was an engineer on the carrier Lexington. We had a great weekend of fun and sea-stories.”
1974
Capt. Kevin Meagher works at Boston Harbor Cruises. Kevin and his wife, Meg live in Salem, Massachusetts.
1974
Philip E. Lutes lives on a small island in Puget Sound. He married this past August, plays a lot of golf and plans to start traveling the U.S. Parks in 2019.

1977
Dave Sullivan has been appointed to the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessels Inspectors as the Chief Inspector from the State of Arkansas. He has been with the Boiler Division since 2006 and lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.
1979
Alumni from the ’70’s were well represented at the 2019 Alumni Senior Banquet. Pictured from left to right: Capt. John Ingram ’79 (class agent), Brad Ducharme ’77, Tim Achorn ’79 and Robert Sweetser ’79.
1980
Raymond E. Minchak is enjoying being back in Maine and working on the DDG 51 program for Lockheed Martin.
1983
Kurt Kirkland is the Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety Manager for Tosca Services, LLC. He has been in the role for nearly six years. He manages the safety programs and compliance element of this national company whose primary business is managing a pool of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) used mainly in the food industry. He and a staff of two regional EHS managers oversee 14 facilities from coast to coast. Kirkland lives in Ojai, California.
1983
Nathaniel Leonard is President of Little River Marine Consultants. He and his wife, Eve, live in Ponta Vedra, Florida.
1983
Nicholas B. Brackett stopped going to sea in 2000. He was then Chief Engineer with R&B Falcon while Deepwater Horizon was built. He is currently doing lift maintenance at Sugarbush Ski Area. His son and daughter are grown and he has a grandson.
1983
Barry K. Olver is a pilot with Southeast Alaska. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Juneau, Alaska and have two children, Naomi and Mackenzie.
1983
John K. Lundevall retired in April 2018, following 34 years of government service supporting the Department of the Navy. He worked at five different commands, including Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and NAVSEA. He ended his career at Southwest Regional Maintenance Center in San Diego, California.
1984
John Anderson Jr. is shift supervisor at the Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation in Auburn along with nine other MMA graduates. Ten out of the 27 employees are from MMA! John and his wife, Jamie, live in Minot, Maine. They have two sons, John III and Jack.
1984
Class Agent Dave Melin sent this picture of classmates John Balano, Mike Brown and James Hutton from a recent America’s Cup practice on the Chesapeake Bay (step aside Dennis Conner). “How is it they don’t look a day older than the day we graduated?”
1986
Peter McVety is the owner of McVety’s Hearth and Home in Yarmouth, Maine. He and his wife, Susan, live in Standish, Maine. He commented, “Class of ’86 is the best!”
1987
John H. Grose is flying as a captain of a Boeing 737 for United Airlines.
1988
Capt. Anthony “Dru” DiMattia has retired after 30 years of sailing. He sailed Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as Chief Officer and Master on a number of USNS vessels. He also sailed as Chief and Master with Maersk Lines Limited. Now DiMattia is volunteering his time with the American Merchant Marine Veterans, serving as Region One (Florida, Puerto Rico) vice president and is the chairman of the Mer-chant Marine Memorial Committee. The memorial in Eco Park, Cape Coral, Florida, will feature a bronze ship’s wheel, a granite memorial stone, plaque and U.S. Merchant Marine flag.

The memorial details the lost lives of 6,839 merchant mariners, as well as the 1,810 lives of Naval Armed guardsman, accompanied by an image of a Liberty Ship. These pieces, along with engineering and site design, were all donated by local businesses.
1988
Eric J. Hendrickson retired after a 30-year career with the Navy. He moved back to Maine and took a job with L3 flying contract ISR overseas.
1988
Marc Vachon is a principal engineer with Bath Iron Works. He and his wife, Laura, live in Farmingdale, Maine and have two children, Coalter (22) and Beaux (18).
1990
John R. Turner, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas in the College of Information Science, in the department of Learning Technologies.
1991
John Poulin ’91 and ENS Ryan Donlon ’17 recently met aboard the Bath Iron Works-built USS Carney (DDG-94) in Rota, Spain. LCDR Poulin (USN retired) is a designer with the BIW Planning Yard and ENS Donlon is the Electrical Division Officer aboard the Carney.
1993
“Eric James (Delaware River Pilot) and I (St Lawrence Seaway Pilot) flew out to Astoria, Oregon to visit with Mike Tolley and Derek Hill (Columbia River Bar Pilots) this week,” writes Capt. Steve Pellegrino. “Just a quick visit because Derek couldn’t make the reunion and we all wanted to get together.”
1996
Jay R. Piercy married Avanelle Riley Piercy on September 2, 2018. Ron Moore ’84, Dan Gorgone ’98 and Greg Shelton ’97 were in attendance.
1996
Peggy (McEwen) Stolyarova works as a second mate for Masters, Mates & Pilots and is a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. She and her husband, Dmitri, live in Port Ludlow, Washington with their children, Tatiana and Alexander.
1999
Capt. Stephen Austin assumed command of the 685-ft. U.S. flagged bulk carrier vessel Moku Pahu in July, 2018. One of his first trips was delivering wheat to Yemen, a country on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula and in the middle of a civil war. The grain is a basic food source, and the wheat is meant to save millions of lives. “We make sure that the delivery goes through, we come back, and we get another one,” Capt. Austin stated.
2001
Eric Hadley, CEO/Founder of Got Your Six Coffee Co in Springfield MO, is raising funds for a GY6C Company Disaster Response Coffee truck, which will be used to support first responders and their families during natural disasters/tragedies giving them peace at home so that they can remain focused on taking care of the community. See GotYourSixCoffee.Com to learn more.
2002
Kristie Gould Kosalski is self-employed with a small business consulting company, advising on items related to data, finances and setting up new platforms. She and her husband, Aaron, live in Union, Maine with their children, Judah (4) and Silas (March 2019).
2010
Following graduation, Andrew Baer ’10 worked on a variety of research vessels, cargo ships, and tankers all over the world. In early 2018, after seven years of shipping, Baer decided to change course and serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. He is now stationed in Saroudia, Senegal, as a Preventative Health Volunteer. He is working to improve community health in south eastern Senegal and is primarily focused on malaria prevention and education.
2010
Isaiah Roberts sent us a note with this image: “We had just finished up mucking, pressure washing and inspecting the bilge water tank the day after Christmas. We are on the Ocean Blacklion, a Diamond Offshore Drilling-owned drillship in the Gulf of Mexico.” Shown (left to right): Tyler Bowen, 3rd A/E ’14; Isaiah Roberts, 2nd A/E ’10; Patrick Gallagher, 3rd A/E ’13. Roberts reports that MMA is well represented onboard the Ocean Blacklion. Other alumni in the engineering department: Harry Finn, 2nd A/E ’09; Ross Taber, 2nd A/E ’11; J. Colin Goodson, 3rd A/E ’16; George Morrison, Oiler ’17; Nathan Fitzpatrick, Oiler ’17; Wyatt Roberts, Oiler ’18; Nick Judge, Oiler ’18.
2012
Tom Gorman, 2nd A/E, is sailing deep sea with MEBA.
2012
Sean Doherty sailed with OSG and ARC before moving shoreside. He now is in Labor Relations and Crewing with APL Maritime Ltd. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
2012
Justin Genest was recently promoted to 1st A/E for Crowley Maritime, sailing aboard the M/V Pennsylvania in the Gulf of Mexico.
2012
Emily Brogden Lee writes, “I am currently living in San Diego with my husband, Michael, who is active duty Navy, and our two children, Alexander (4) and Scarlett (7 mos.). I work as an Engineering Process Analyst for General Dynamics NASSCO where I have been for five years. We recently received three more years of orders here in San Diego for shore duty.”
2012
James Morris and his wife, Crystal, live in Port Clyde, Maine. Morris is self-employed as a lobsterman.
2012
Samantha Pease is a Sustainability and Wellness Manager, private brands, for Ahold Delhaize in Scarborough, Maine.
2012
Seamus Pitchford is maintenance and facilities manager for Modula, Inc. in Lewiston, Maine. Pitchford and mate, Skyler Bowden, live in Farmington, Maine.
2012
Kayley Rodriquez works at the Animal Medical Center of Mid America as an associate veterinarian and lives in Creve Couer, Missouri.
2014
Bryan Dore is a field service engineer and project manager for Siemens, Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Jaime, live in Delmont with their two children, Benjamin (3) and Cameron (1).
2014
Ashley (Harriman) Genest is Purchasing Manager for Wunderlich-Malec in Winslow, Maine. She and her husband, Justin ‘12 have a 2-year-old daughter, Emma, and will welcome another this spring.
2017
Joshua Doolan is an accounts executive with Cross Insurance of Portland, Maine. He resides in Windham.
2017
Dylan Porter is a project engineer for Cianbro. He lives in Sullivan, Maine with his wife, Tashia, and son, Jackson.