October 26, 2010
Dear Friend,
On Thursday I met with Robert Dilenschneider and others at The Dilenschneider Group, our new public relations firm in New York City. I appreciate their good work on the United Technologies announcement and I am very excited about their plans to significantly improve our position in travel and tourism publications globally, and also to develop a public relations strategy to reposition The JASON Project as an international education leader. Later that day, I was pleased to be a panel speaker at the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) symposium at the Harvard Club in New York City. My comments focused on setting a framework for marine environmental intelligence – why the shipping industry and other maritime industries should care about environmental protection of the oceans and what some of the key issues are. They include marine spatial planning, marine sound, invasive species, greenhouse gasses, impact on marine protected areas and animal strikes. That evening, Sea Research Foundation Trustee and NAMEPA Chairman Clay Maitland and Sea Research Foundation President’s Councilor and NAMEPA Executive Director Carleen Lyden-Kluss, hosted the second annual NAMEPA Awards Dinner at the Harvard Club. I was very pleased to be seated with Bailey MacNamara, winner of this year’s art contest, and to recognize her at the event. Sponsored by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) and Immersion Learning™, the contest challenged students across North America to create a poster around the theme “Mariners help save our seas.” Submissions focused on the marine environment and the work that mariners do to protect it.
Next week the JASON Project team will be at Sea World in Orlando. National Geographic asked JASON to create a live, interactive web event aligned with the upcoming Nat Geo TV Series Great Migrations. This series has been three years in the making, and takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species.
On Sunday, a team from Sea Research participated in the first annual Corporate Games to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Connecticut. Sea Research Foundation has a very good relationship with this Club through our Immersion Learning division. Team SRF consisted of: Jon Sturrus, Don Harrington, Kurt Harrington, Sarah Halbrend, Suzanne McKirdy, Megan Brown and her daughter Madeline, Michelle Sheahen, Marie DeNoia, Katie Cubina, Elana Deslandes-Murphy, and Donna Zdanis. Thank you all for representing Sea Research Foundation and for supporting this worthwhile organization, and congratulations to Jon Sturrus, who won the award for the entire event for the largest individual donation of $1000.
Finally, I had a sneak preview of the “Zombie House” on Sunday evening while visiting my office. No, this is not a derogatory term related to the staff in the president’s office! It is part of the exciting Fall-O-Ween program that is coming to Mystic Aquarium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During those days the entire campus will be abuzz with spooky and fun activities. I am grateful to our staff and volunteers who are working so hard to make this happen. It is a key event for the organization and we look forward to welcoming thousands of members and guests over the three days of Fall-O-Ween. The Zombie House will be a big hit and congratulations to David Hunter for his creativity in designing it! Thanks to everyone and see you soon in Ashburn or Mystic! - Steve Coan
The past several days have been exciting ones for Sea Research Foundation. On Wednesday, October 20th, United Technologies announced a $1 million grant for the refurbishment of the building and experience currently known as Challenge of the Deep at Mystic Aquarium. The building will be completely renovated, a new exploration plaza will be built with an expanded Penguins Café, and the experience will be renamed United Technologies Ocean Exploration Center.
We had some nice publicity on this event as you can see below: Hartford Courant The Day Hartford Business Journal The ExaminerSpecial thanks to the Chairman and CEO of United Technologies, Louis Chenevert, whom I met with approximately two years ago at the suggestion of the late Harry Jack Gray, a Sea Research and JASON Trustee who was himself the founding Chairman and CEO of United Technologies. Mr. Chenevert was very supportive and asked United Technologies Chief Legal Counsel, Charles Gill, to join the Sea Research Board of Trustees.
For almost two years, Mr. Gill has played an instrumental role in the life of the organization, succeeding Mr. Gray as Chairman of the Finance and Investment Committee and securing several million dollars of in-kind services to help reposition Sea Research Foundation’s financial position. Mr. Gill joined me and Dr. Robert Ballard in a presentation to Mr. Chenevert about six months ago, during which we asked United Technologies for the sponsorship announced last Thursday.
In his remarks at the announcement of the United Technologies grant, UTC Senior Vice President for Science and Technology Dr. Michael McQuade, noted the wonderful news that broke that day regarding the selection of Mystic Aquarium alumna, Dr. Kelly Benoit-Bird. Dr. Bird, now a professor of marine science at the University of Oregon, is a 2010 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. These fellowships are given out to individuals who show particular promise in an academic field and are awarded based on anonymous recommendations from people and colleagues in the field. They are so called "genius" grants because they are focused on promoting individuals of remarkable intellect and academic promise.
Dr. Benoit-Bird was a 1994 winner of the United Technologies Corporation Award at the Connecticut Science Fair. Her award was based on research that she conducted at Mystic Aquarium in 1994 and a paper that she wrote, "Patterns in Sounds Created by a Captive Bottlenose Dolphin." What great news to top an exciting week and to celebrate a wonderful partnership between United Technologies and Sea Research Foundation!
On Thursday evening, Dr. Robert Ballard presented a special lecture to United Technologies’ worldwide executives at a wonderful event held in the Connecticut Convention Center. I had the privilege of sitting next to Mr. Chenevert, and he reminded me about the wonderful time that he and his family had at Mystic Aquarium during the wedding reception for his daughter.
Incidentally, the plan for construction is now being formalized, but we hope to begin construction on the outside of the building, the area currently known as Challenge of the Deep Pool, by early 2011 and to open the new United Technologies Ocean Exploration Center by April 2012. During much of 2011 we are excited to be hosting a new exhibit, “Critter Cam: The World through Animal Eyes” in that building.
During the events at United Technologies, we did not speak a great deal about Harry Jack Gray and the incredible legacy that he left in United Technologies and also in the organizations that he helped to lead, including Sea Research and JASON. I had the privilege of working closely with Mr. Gray in both of these efforts and I looked forward to the many times I would meet him in his office in Farmington, Connecticut.
What a great honor then, during a recent luncheon, when his wife Helen Gray asked me if Sea Research Foundation would like to have the furnishings from Mr. Gray’s office. These furnishings are quite significant because they came from Mr. Gray’s original office at United Technologies headquarters in Hartford where he put together the company by acquiring Otis Elevator, Sikorsky, Pratt and Whitney and other respected brands.
Most importantly, to me, the office speaks of the integrity of a person I deeply admired and who made a tremendous difference in the life of Sea Research Foundation, helping to fund the original Challenge of the Deep exhibit, financially supporting the JASON Project, and insisting on financial transparency and excellence in management systems. He could be a tough friend; always engaging and challenging, never compromising when it came to questions that he wanted answers to.
Thank you to our Facilities Department, and to all who reside in the Immersion Learning building, for your patience as Mr. Gray’s furnishings are installed in the president’s office, at Mrs. Gray’s request. They will be used with care, respected for their origin, and hopefully guide generations of leaders of our organization.
On Thursday I met with Robert Dilenschneider and others at The Dilenschneider Group, our new public relations firm in New York City. I appreciate their good work on the United Technologies announcement and I am very excited about their plans to significantly improve our position in travel and tourism publications globally, and also to develop a public relations strategy to reposition The JASON Project as an international education leader. Later that day, I was pleased to be a panel speaker at the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) symposium at the Harvard Club in New York City. My comments focused on setting a framework for marine environmental intelligence – why the shipping industry and other maritime industries should care about environmental protection of the oceans and what some of the key issues are. They include marine spatial planning, marine sound, invasive species, greenhouse gasses, impact on marine protected areas and animal strikes. That evening, Sea Research Foundation Trustee and NAMEPA Chairman Clay Maitland and Sea Research Foundation President’s Councilor and NAMEPA Executive Director Carleen Lyden-Kluss, hosted the second annual NAMEPA Awards Dinner at the Harvard Club. I was very pleased to be seated with Bailey MacNamara, winner of this year’s art contest, and to recognize her at the event. Sponsored by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) and Immersion Learning™, the contest challenged students across North America to create a poster around the theme “Mariners help save our seas.” Submissions focused on the marine environment and the work that mariners do to protect it.
Next week the JASON Project team will be at Sea World in Orlando. National Geographic asked JASON to create a live, interactive web event aligned with the upcoming Nat Geo TV Series Great Migrations. This series has been three years in the making, and takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species.
On Sunday, a team from Sea Research participated in the first annual Corporate Games to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Connecticut. Sea Research Foundation has a very good relationship with this Club through our Immersion Learning division. Team SRF consisted of: Jon Sturrus, Don Harrington, Kurt Harrington, Sarah Halbrend, Suzanne McKirdy, Megan Brown and her daughter Madeline, Michelle Sheahen, Marie DeNoia, Katie Cubina, Elana Deslandes-Murphy, and Donna Zdanis. Thank you all for representing Sea Research Foundation and for supporting this worthwhile organization, and congratulations to Jon Sturrus, who won the award for the entire event for the largest individual donation of $1000.
Finally, I had a sneak preview of the “Zombie House” on Sunday evening while visiting my office. No, this is not a derogatory term related to the staff in the president’s office! It is part of the exciting Fall-O-Ween program that is coming to Mystic Aquarium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During those days the entire campus will be abuzz with spooky and fun activities. I am grateful to our staff and volunteers who are working so hard to make this happen. It is a key event for the organization and we look forward to welcoming thousands of members and guests over the three days of Fall-O-Ween. The Zombie House will be a big hit and congratulations to David Hunter for his creativity in designing it! Thanks to everyone and see you soon in Ashburn or Mystic! - Steve Coan
Mr. Gray was a great man and
Mr. Gray was a great man and over my many years at Boys & Girls Clubs of America I watched him do so many things for so many organizations serving kids.
It is truly fitting that his furniture go to Steve Coan, another great man unselfishly doing outstanding work for America's children.