2023 VSRF TRADESPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARDS ANNOUNCED

The 17^th Annual Tradesperson of the Year Awards was held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, during the VSRA General Membership Luncheon Meeting that took place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, Chartway Arena, ODU. Each year, the Tradesperson of the Year Awards recognize the “best of the best” in Ship Repair. This year we had a total of 35 nominees, with 19 outstanding Senior and 16 Junior nominations.

After votes were tallied in each category during the review of final results, a very close margin was recognized, leading the Judges Panel and VSRF Board to award Runners-Up for both the Junior and Senior Tradesperson of the Year.

This year’s runner-up for the Junior Tradesperson of the Year is Anthony Rand of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. In just one year at the Rigging shop, Anthony Rand's contributions have been recognized, leading to a recent promotion. Demonstrating a continuous drive for excellence in the ship repair industry, Anthony excels when given the opportunity. His supervisor entrusts him with overseeing various operational weight tests, all conducted with safety briefs and completed without incidents or delays. Anthony is diligent in his work, utilizing downtime for shipyard cleanup or training junior tradespeople. Recognized for exceptional safety standards, he actively prevents potential catastrophic incidents and is involved in community service, contributing to church activities and participating in the "Dads of Great Students" program, emphasizing the importance of education and enhancing school security.

Our 2023 Junior Tradesperson of the Year, Christian Fitzgerald of Tecnico Corporation, is a graduated Journeyman Apprentice, showcasing a strong commitment to professional development. He holds certifications in Maritime Welding and multiple NAVSEA and ABS welding certificates. Christian serves as a mentor and contributes to knowledge-sharing at the Buckingham County Career and Technical Center. Going above and beyond, he works overtime and weekends, reflecting his dedication to his craft. Maintaining an impeccable safety record, Christian takes an initiative-driven approach, ensuring zero job-related injuries and fostering a secure work environment. Beyond his professional endeavors, Christian is deeply involved in the community. He contributes to charitable causes, supporting local churches, aiding in animal rescue, and assisting the elderly. His extensive and impressive list of qualifications, certifications, commitment to mentorship, community involvement and personal achievements demonstrates a well-rounded individual who seeks training and improvement opportunities to enhance their trade and operational expertise while also contributing positively to their community and personal life.

The runner-up for this year’s Senior Tradesperson award is Eric Moore of Epsilon System Solutions, Inc.  Eric is a Tank Cleaning Specialist with 25 years of experience at his company. When the term loyalty comes up, Eric is often cited as an example internally to the company of what it means to be dedicated to a trades level craft. Eric was the leadership on the deckplates for the flagship Fall Arrest System christened onboard the USS IWO JIMA. This new safety initiative started in 2022 and came to fruition in 2023. He trains, maintains, and operates a very specific Fall Arrest System for tanks with ‘double bottoms’ and unguarded edges to ensure personnel entering, cleaning, and maintaining an opened tank do so safely with minimized threat of slip, trip, fall injuries, and death. In Eric's personal life, he coaches a Portsmouth Little League team with a stellar record for 2023 and looks forward to next season. He also works with his local church and community to volunteer for book drives, food drives, and his personal favorite, the ‘Back to School’ backpack drive where Eric goes door to door to ask people to donate lightly used backpacks for kids in need for the upcoming school year. He is often the ‘Head Chef’ for Summer and Fall cookouts for his local church, providing camaraderie and a sense of community for Eric’s local part of the world.

The 2023 Senior Tradesperson of the Year, Bradford Major of General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk serves as a Crew Leader for the Inside Machine shop. He began his career in the trades over 25 years ago, learning on the job and becoming the organization’s subject matter expert for successfully executing shafting evolutions. Bradford sought out training and development opportunities to master bellows, diesels, valves, and pumps, developing cross-functional competency to level workload across machining functions. His dedication to development extends to junior mechanics in his shop, constantly seeking opportunities to teach and engage them. Bradford exemplifies knowledge sharing, positive mentorship, and leading by example. As a true subject matter expert, he takes the lead during shafting evolutions, coordinating between multiple trade specialties, specialized equipment, and personnel with varying levels of experience. Bradford's leadership and expertise are vital to the on-time delivery of vessels in the facility. Distinguishing himself from peers with his demeanor and pride in his work, Bradford is a positive role model for both peers and junior mechanics. His calm, positive attitude fosters a working environment that allows for learning and prioritizes safety while meeting schedule and cost constraints. Bradford strives to give back to his community, participating in opportunities to feed members and helping clean a shelter in his neighborhood. He provides a fantastic example of leadership and accountability at home and at work.

The 16 Junior Tradesperson Nominees were as following:

1. Eric Lindstrom (Advanced Integrated Technologies (AIT), LLC)
2. Benjamin Hodges (Auxiliary Systems Inc.)
3. Anthony Rand (BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair)
4. Ashley Robinson (Colonna Shipyard)
5. Benjamin Cox (Defense Maritime Solutions Inc.)
6. Todd Jowers (Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc.)
7. Benjamin Coggeshall (Fairlead Boatworks)
8. Austin Arementrout-Ruud (General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk)
9. Bryce Mullinax (HII Fleet Support Group)
10. Michael Flower (KITCO Fiber Optics)
11. Zoser Wint (MHI Ship Repair and Services)-unable to attend  
12. Jacob Hill (Oceaneering International Inc.)
13. Ian Clark (Q.E.D. Systems, Inc.)
14. Christian Fitzgerald (Tecnico Corporation)
15. Charles Moreland (Valkyrie Enterprises)
16. William Thigpen (VTG Defense)

The 19 Senior Tradesperson Nominees were as following:

1. Cotez Brown (Advanced Integrated Technologies (AIT), LLC
2. Jesse White (BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair)
3. Ricky Still (Colonna Shipyard)
4. Damon Wheeler (Defense Maritime Solutions Inc.)
5. Daniel Stranigan (East Coast Repair & Fabrication)
6. Eric “EMO” Moore (Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc.)
7. Da’Mon Berckley (Fairlead Boatworks)
8. Bradford Major (General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk)
9. Scott Coombe (HII-Fleet Support Group)
10. Brendan Regan (Integrity Staffing)
11. Daniel Martineau (KITCO Fiber Optics)
12. Eric Cox (MHI Ship Repair and Services)Unable to attend
13. Joline Cress (Oceaneering International, Inc-MSD)
14. Michael Neudecker (Q.E.D. Systems Inc.)
15. W. Eric Grandy (Surface Technologies Corporation)
16. Timothy “TJ” Mekosh (Tecnico Corporation)
17. Donnie Warner (Tidewater Staffing)
18. Henry Sistare (Valkyrie Enterprises, LLC)
19. David Lutz (VTG Defense)

The winners were selected by a panel of industry-expert judges who read each nomination in a redacted format, so they didn’t know the individuals or companies represented. Please join us in thanking our judges:

• Brian Daugherty (kSARIA Corporation) Advisor
• Terry Stead (Tecnico Corporation)
• Beth Callahan (BD by BC, LLC)
• David Spinazzolo (Metropolitan Solutions)
• Capt. Jay Young (Commander, MARMC)
• Jacob Trent (PNC Bank)
• Jeff Julian (Industry Preservation LLC)

Each of the 2023 Tradesperson of the Year Award nominees received award certificates in covers, a DeWalt 16” Open Mouth Tool Bag, a Stanley FatMax 25’ with Auto Lock Tape Measure, an Irwin 2 Piece Vise Grip Plier Set, DeWalt FLEX TORQ 40 Piece Impact Ready Bits, a VSRA hat, and a VSRA Challenge Coin.

Junior and Senior Runners-Up each received a $150 gift certificates to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a DeWalt 20V MAX XR Cordless Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit, and FREE admission to the 2024 Safety & Health Seminar.

Junior and Senior Award Winners each received a $750.00 cash award, an embroidered VSRA jacket, a DeWalt 20V MAX XR 6-Tool Combo Kit, a half circle frame, an award certificate in cover, a $200 gift certificate to Olive Garden & Darden Restaurants, a Nauticus Family Membership package for one year, and FREE admission to the 2024 Annual Safety & Health Seminar

The 2023 Tradesperson of the Year Awards are sponsored by PNC Bank. Awards are furnished by Stanley Black & Decker.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO RECOGNIZED EXCELLENCE IN THE SHIP REPAIR WORKFORCE BY NOMINATING AN EMPLOYEE FOR THIS DISTINGUISHED AWARD!

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