Newsletter: February/March Newsletter

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NEW LOCATION FOR FEBRUARY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The next meeting of the VSRA General Membership is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2009  at 12:00 Noon, at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel.  Our guest speaker will be CAPT Pat Trapp, USCG Sector Commander.

JANUARY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

A total of 128 members and guests were in attendance and watched the Inauguration of President Barack Obama while they enjoyed their lunch.
 
Membership:   Mal Branch reported that 4 new members had been voted in by the VSRA Board of Directors.  The members welcomed in: C.A. Jones Inc. (Newport News), Center for Emergency Medical & Safety Training Inc. (Portsmouth), Ebonova Marine Environmental Services Inc. (Norfolk), and Seaway Coatings Inc. (Baltimore MD).
 
The guest speaker, CAPT Scott Mattingly, Commanding Officer of MARMC, updated guests on MARMC’s mission and some upcoming changes for 2009.  Some points included:
•        Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center’s mission is to deliver cost readiness to war fighters by providing industrial, engineering, technological, and contracting services for maintenance and modernization of naval ships and craft.
•        CAPT Mattingly is the MARMC Commanding Officer which covers: Detachment Naples; Detachment Bahrain; and USS Dynamic (Little Creek)
•        He discussed the importance of aligning MARMC with Commander RMC’s Strategic Planning focus
•        CAPT Mattingly emphasized that VSRA & MARMC have a unique partnership that provides Service to the Fleet
•        MARMC provides global coverage and service to 2nd, 5th, and 6th Fleet.  His priorities are determined by what each Fleet needs at a specific period in time.
•        MARMC FY08 Funding:  $891,733,715 Grand Total Funding – with ~60% of this total was spent on Surface Ship maintenance.  Roughly $600 million of the total spent on the combination of Surface Ship maintenance and modernization.
•        MARMC Integration into NNSY due to BRAC:  This will be complete by FY2010 (October 1, 2009) and is still going through various phases.  MARMC will downsize from 1,500 active duty sailors to 100-200 active duty sailors.  Fleet Technical Assistance (FTA) will still be for 2nd, 5th, and 6th Fleet.  He is not certain if they will still be called MARMC.  He emphasized he will keep the proper channels open, and updates will be provided as he is able to disseminate them.
•        Fixed Price contracts:  This method is what the Navy has confidence in.  You will see more fixed price contracts out of MARMC in 2009.
 
CAPT. Mattingly’s presentation is available at http://www.virginiashiprepair.org/news.asp?NewsID=248.

HELP VSRA IMPROVE COMMUNICATION

In an effort to bring more value to our members, the Communication Committee has created the following survey.  We value your input!  Kindly take a couple of minutes to complete this survey, if you have not done so already. This survey is 9 questions, and will take less than 5 minutes to complete.
 
Email link:
 
Thank you for your participation. We appreciate your valuable input, which benefits the Virginia Ship Repair Association.

GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY QP3 QUALIFIED

By David Barclay       
Section Vice President
 
On June 5, 2008, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) received The Society for Protective Coatings QP3 (shop painting – enclosed) certification for its 1545 Crossways Boulevard, Chesapeake facility. The requirements for QP 3 are similar to those for QP 1, except they are specifically focused on shop coating operations.
 
QP 3 is a nationally recognized program that evaluates the practices of shop painting facilities in key areas of business. These standards are considered to be the minimum level of service and quality for today's coatings industry.
 
The complex nature of coating systems, the specific conditions and surface preparation required by these systems, have made the QP 3 guidelines vital to the longevity of protective coatings applied in the shop.
 
To be certified by SSPC, industrial contractors must demonstrate competence in several key areas:
 
Management Procedures
Technical Capabilities
Quality Control
Health, Safety and Environmental Compliance
 
GDIT was evaluated through a series of submittals to The Society for Protective Coatings, which described the business operations. An impartial, on-site audit performed at GDIT's headquarters and shop location verified the information provided in the application submittals. Continuous adherence to standards is ensured by internal audit and The Society for Protective Coatings no-notice follow up audits.
 
GDIT is the only Society for Protective Coatings certified QP3 shop in the Hampton Roads area.

DoD BUDGET PROCESS

By Joe Yurso
VSRA presented a Seminar on Navy/DoD Budget Processes on January 15, 2009. This event was intended for VSRA members and provided a most meaningful benefit. The seminar covered the Planning, Programming, Budgeting & Execution (PPBE) system that is currently used by DOD for the entire budget to execution process. This process has been in effect for 47 years and was originally introduced by then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. PPBE is an enduring process that is calendar driven by the requirements of the Congress.
 
The seminar provided a good insight on the complexity of the budget process. In addition, the various funding mechanisms with their time line were explained. For example, Operations and Maintenance OMN funds and Military personnel MPN funds are annual funds. Research & Development (2 year), Procurement (three year) and Shipbuilding and Conversion/ Military Construction funds are five year funds.
             
The seminar provided a clear explanation of the phases of the PPBE budgeting process. The planning phase starts this complex process. Programming follows the planning phase. The seminar included a who’s who in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations involved in the budget process.
           
The presenter was effective in explaining this complex process with visual aids. He covered trends over the past 40 years and demonstrated with specifics how great the growth of mandatory spending has taken place in the National budget.
           
Those who did not attend this seminar really missed an opportunity to learn the basics of the PPBE process. This is the second year that Whitney, Bradley and Brown, Inc (WBB) Consulting has presented information on the legislative and budgeting process. VSRA has been providing most valuable exposure for its members with these seminars.

EARL INDUSTRIES’ EMPLOYEES RECEIVE EQUIPMENT GRANTS

The Virginia Ship Repair Foundation (VSRF) offers equipment grants to new hires of Virginia Ship Repair Association (VSRA) member companies who are graduates of local schools. In December 2008, two new hires of Earl Industries were competitively selected to receive these grants which include a tool bag and a $500 voucher for the purchase of tools of the employees’ respective trades from Empire Machinery and Supply Corporation. 
 
The Earl Industries’ employees selected for the grants are Hunter Atkins, a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia in June 2008, who is currently working in the company’s Electric Shop as an Apprentice Marine Electrician, and Corey Spence, who graduated from Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia in June 2008, who is currently working as a Pipefitter Helper in the Pipe Shop.
 
In December 2008, Jerry Miller, the President of Earl Industries, was joined by several members of the VSRA and VSRF Boards at the company’s shipyard location in Portsmouth to congratulate Mr. Atkins and Mr. Spence on the award of their grants.

NATIONAL SHIP REPAIR INDUSTRY CONFERENCE 2009

The 2009 National Ship Repair Industry Conference will be held March 9-11, 2009 at the Embassy Suites, Crystal City.  This year, the organizing ship repair associations, in partnership with the Shipbuilders Council of America, have decided to modify the format of the conference.  Attendees will meet with Navy leaders before meeting with members of Congress.  The basic agenda is:
 
Monday, March 9th          Travel / Opening Evening Reception sponsored by Port of San Diego Ship Repair Association
Tuesday, March 10th        Navy Day at Embassy Suites
Wednesday, March 11th   Hill Day / Evening Hill Reception sponsored by VSRA
Thursday, March 12th       Individual visits to the Hill / Travel Home
 
We have tentative commitments for Navy Day from VADM Curtis (COMNAVSURFFOR), VADM McCoy (COMNAVSEA), RADM Hugel (SEA 04), and RDML McManamon (SEA 21).  Invitations have been sent to SECNAV, CNO, ASN(RD&A), MSC and OPNAV N43B.
The following congressional members have accepted for Hill Day: Senator Cochran and Senator Vitter, as well as Congressmen Taylor and Forbes.  There has been positive feedback from many other congressional staff members, so the acceptances are expected to grow.
 
NSRIC 09 Registration Form should be completed and sent to SCA, along with your registration fee.  The form is on the VSRA website, www.virginiashiprepair.org. Please note that VSRA members fee is $300 (down from $320 last year).  Attendees who are not members of one of the partner SRA's or SCA will be charged a $350 registration fee.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY

Positioning for Economic Benefit  
 
By Hunter Frischkorn
 
Given the current uncertainty in the market place, this may just be the perfect time to consider an operation’s energy consumption, affect on the environment and ultimately its sustainability.   There continues to be a lot of discussion about creating “green jobs” and investment in renewable energy and infrastructure. The Federal and State governments’ desire to stimulate the economy is evident by the ongoing debate about the ways to accomplish this. In many of the conversations and news stories on the topic of stimulating economic growth, new investment is contemplated in the “green” sector as one of the key elements in economic recovery. 
 
This means that companies that pay attention to this “green” trend will likely be in a better position to benefit from it than companies that ignore it and/or think it doesn’t apply to them. Not necessarily every business will create “green jobs”, but all businesses can likely benefit from knowing what their affect is on the environment and understand their options for reducing the negative aspects of it.  
 
Companies that know what aspects of their operations may have significant environmental impact will be positioning to develop and/or participate in programs designed to reduce these impacts and create long-term sustainability. Already, there are tax incentives for investing in renewable energy alternatives and the potential for more ways of funding sources to energize this part of economic recovery.
 
A standard approach companies use to determine what aspects of their operations may have significant environmental impact and set priorities for reduction is to create an Environmental Management System (EMS). An EMS provides the structure needed to define the parameters, set goals and track progress. EMS programs are based on the Deming principal: Plan - Do - Check – Act, which is the same approach frequently used to manage various other aspects of operations. By applying this familiar approach to environmental stewardship, companies will improve their ability to identify opportunities to participate in applicable incentive programs and plan their long-term sustainability.
 
The bottom line is that environmental stewardship and sustainability are rapidly becoming an integral part of our country’s economic plan and will likely be an important factor in the way we all do business.

VSRA SCHOOL CAREER DAY SCHEDULE

Career Connection, Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at The Advanced Technology Center.  Their address is 1800 College Crescent, Virginia Beach, VA 23453.  Time and more details TBA.
 
Tallwood High School Career Fair  Friday March 13, 2009 from 8am-1pm in the Library Media Center.  1668 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464. 
 
Granby High School Career Fair  Thursday March 26, 2009 from 9:00am-12:30pm at their Media Center.  Their address is 7101 Granby Street Norfolk, VA 23505.  A light breakfast will be provided to volunteers.
 
**If you are interested in attending any of the above Career Days, please contact Ann Howell or Josephine Anderson to sign up.  The VSRA office number is 757-233-7034, or email at info@VirginiaShipRepair.org

NAUTICAL TERM OF THE MONTH: CROW’S NEST

From http://www.cffc.navy.mil/customs.htm
 
The raven, or crow, was an essential part of the Vikings' navigation equipment. These land-lubbing birds were carried on aboard to help the ship's navigator determine where the closest land lay when weather prevented sighting the shore. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released, and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird's flight path because the crow invariably headed towards land.
 
The Norsemen carried the birds in a cage secured to the top of the mast. Later on, as ships grew and the lookout stood his watch in a tub located high on the main mast, the name "crow's nest" was given to this tub. While today's Navy still uses lookouts in addition to radars, etc., the crow's nest is a thing of the past.
 

COMMITTEE UPDATE

Communications Committee
The committee discussed the contents of the January/February newsletter and approved the survey for distribution to the general membership. The committee plans to publish the survey by the end of January 2009. The committee meets the second Monday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the QED conference room at 4646 N. Witchduck Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 235455.
 
Contracts Committee
Jeff McMahon briefed the committee on key items involved with the Maritime Administration. MARAD is introducing a green policy that will be a factor in determining awards. Jim Stricker discussed some of the future work that NOAA is looking for help, including drydocking some NOAA assets. Dan Weckstein briefed the committee regarding increased reporting requirements and enforcement of ethics and Organizational Conflict of Interest rules. Ron Ritter briefed the Committee regarding recent items from the SCA conference held in Charleston, SC. The committee meets the first Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in the Troutman Sanders conference room, 150 Main Street, 16th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510.
 
Human Resources Committee
The committee meets the first Wednesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. in the Troutman Sanders Conference Room, 150 Main Street, 16th Floor, Norfolk, VA 23510.
 
Quality Assurance Committee
The committee discussed the QA database. The IT programmer is changing the automatic audit assignment to insure the same company does not accomplish back-to-back audits on another company. The program will begin tracking the length of time required to receive responses from a “Need Help” e-mail. The committee chair will be notified electronically when audits are overdue. The committee meets the second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. in the Q.E.D. Systems, Inc. Conference Room, 4646 North Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
 
Safety and Environmental Committee
A request for volunteers for 2009 upcoming sub-committees was made for the Safety Seminar and Safety Navsea Standard Items. No fourth quarter Safety Suggestion(s) were submitted. The committee discussed the of lack of submissions and the importance of program. The Standardized Forms Sub-committee chair requested member feedback on the completed VSRA Hot Work Form (Draft). To differentiate company forms, company logos will be used. A presentation of “Industrial Hygiene Sampling” was conducted by Angelo Costa and Colleen Becker. The committee meets the second Thursday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the United Coatings Corp. Training Room, 650 Chautauqua Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707.
 
Security Committee
The process for denying a regional contractor badge has been adjusted. Milt/Gina at CNRMA will be reviewing all denials before posting any denials on the website. Anyone planning overseas travel in support of the military, should first check with MARMC to become familiar with the new travel policy in place. The electronic spreadsheet is now being used according to the prime contractor’s process. Fleet Forces Command has approved this process, and more vessels will start using it. A briefing by Special Agent Kevin Burke with NCIS regarding counterintelligence and espionage was given and was well received. The committee meets the second Tuesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in the United Coatings Corp. Conference Room, 650 Chautauqua Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

We are pleased to offer the following courses:
 
First Aid/CPR/AED/Emergency First Responder ½-Day Refresher Training
Location sponsored by United Coatings Corp.
COST: $85.00 VSRA members; $125.00 Non VSRA members
SESSION 1 DATES: February 19, March 19, April 29, May 28, June 25, Sept 17, Oct 21, Nov 5, and Dec 3 2009, 7:30 am – 11:30 am
SESSION 2 DATES: February 19, March 19, April 29, May 28, June 25, Sept 17, Oct 21, Nov 5, and Dec 3 2009, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
LOCATION: United Coatings Corp. Training Room, 650 Chautauqua Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707
 
 
First Aid/CPR/AED/Emergency First Responder Certification
Location sponsored by United Coatings Corp.
COST: $105.00 VSRA members; $150.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: February 18, March 18, April 28, May 27, June 24, September 16, Oct 20, Nov 4, Dec 2 2009, 7:30am - 4:30pm
LOCATION: United Coatings Corp. Training Room, 650 Chautauqua Avenue, Portsmouth, VA 23707
 
Emergency First Responders ~ OSHA Approved/Internationally Accepted
*This certification is OSHA-approved/internationally accepted and is a step beyond the Red Cross certification and is more oriented to industrial environments.* This course provides comprehensive instruction in CPR and First Aid, as well as Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use, emergency oxygen administration and conscious choking management skills. Upon successful completion of this course, attendees receive a Certification Card.
 
 
Senior Supervisor’s Leadership Course
Location sponsored by Tecnico Corporation
COST: $325.00 VSRA members; $465.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: February 26-27, April 16-17, October 15-16, 2009, 7:30am - 3:30pm
LOCATION: Tecnico Corporation, 831 Industrial Ave, Chesapeake, VA 23324
 
This course is designed for supervisors with more than five years of experience. Course learning centers on leadership demands, behavioral management, tracking professional goals, and developing stronger workers through career development and goal setting. The course delivers 16+ hours of lecture, video, hand-on activities, the Kouzes & Posner Leadership Challenge System and text-based assignments over a two-day period. Students spend four hours developing leadership communication patterns using job safety analysis, inspection and investigation scenarios to apply what they learned to real world examples.
 
 
Junior Supervisor’s Leadership and Safety Course
Location sponsored by Old Dominion University
COST: $425.00 VSRA members; $495.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: Feb 13, Feb 20, 2009, 7:30am - 3:30pm
DATES: May 15, May 22, May 29, June 5 2009, 7:30am - 3:30pm
LOCATION: Old Dominion University/Virginia Applied Technology and Professional Development Center, 4111 Monarch Way, Suite 106, Norfolk, VA 23508.
 
This course weaves Leadership and Management applications throughout the National Safety Council course.  Supervisors will learn about the labor market, their own leadership and management strengths and how to effect change on the waterfront.  Passing students receive the National Safety Council Supervisors Certification. This course will be for 4 weeks, only on Friday.  The course dates are Jan 23, Jan 30, Feb 6, and Feb 13 2009.  This course is for supervisors with 5 years or less experience.
 
 
NAVSEA Standard Items FY10 Training
Sponsored by Tecnico Corporation and course approved by NAVSEA
Location sponsored by Tecnico Corporation
COST: $225.00 VSRA members; $280.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: March 4-5, May 27-28, June 17-18, 2009, 8:00am - 4:00pm
LOCATION: Tecnico Corporation, 831 Industrial Ave, Chesapeake, VA 23324
Standard Items Update uses on-line capabilities along with text copy to overview Standard Items and hone-in on pertinent changes for 2000-2010. After a general overview, the instructor covers the material MOST relevant to the students in class. Little time is wasted in covering areas that students don't need. So, every class is different, but they meet all needs of the students and companies who send them! There are only 15 slots for this course, so please don't delay in signing up those employees who need this training!
 
 
NAVSEA Basic Paint Inspector Prep Course
Location sponsored by Earl Industries
COST: $175.00 VSRA members; $225.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: April 8-9, June 1-2, September 30-October 1, December 2-3, 2009, 8:00am-4:30pm both days
LOCATION: Earl Industries, Victory Blvd, Portsmouth, VA
 
This course will review coating documents such as SSPC PA-2, NSTM Chapter 631 and NSTM Chapter 634 for non-skid and others. It will also provide a thorough review of SI 009-32 and applicable sections of 009-04. Recent changes to the NAVSEA NBPI Exam have resulted in lower pass rates. In order to better prepare your workers, VSRA is offering a 1-1/2-day pre-course specifically to address exam standards and increase inspector-level knowledge. Each attendee will receive a current copy of NAVSEA Standard Items 009-32 and 009-04.
 
 
NAVSEA Basic Paint Inspector Training (NBPI)
Sponsored by VSRA and course approved by NAVSEA
Location sponsored by MARMC
COST: $625.00 VSRA members; $795.00 Non VSRA members
DATES: April 13-17, June 8-12, October 19-23, December 7-11, 2009, 7:00am - 5:00pm
LOCATION: MARMC Building LF-18, Norfolk Naval Base
 
Attendance is limited to 20 applicants. A score of 80% or higher is required to be eligible for the certification. Students passing the exam will receive a four-year certification and a laminated wallet card from SSPC. Test results will come directly from SSPC. 
 
Due to changes with the SSPC, all documents related to this course need to be submitted to the SSPC representative, Jeannine Bodack. Her email address is: bodack@sspc.org, phone: 877-281-7772 x 2204, fax: 412-281-9995. These documents must be submitted two weeks before the first day of class. Please go to the SSPC website http://www.sspc.org/training/nbpi_prereq.html to view the current required documents.
 
 
NAVSEA Cableway Training and Certification Training
This training is certified by NAVSEA
Location sponsored by BAE Systems
COST: $650.00 VSRA Members; $795.00 Non-VSRA Members
DATE: March 2-6, May 18-22, September 28-October 2, November 16-20, 2009, 8:00am – 4:00pm
LOCATION: BAE Systems, Norfolk Ship Repair
 
Attendance is limited to 20 applicants. This course delivers 35+ hours of lecture, video, hands-on lab work and text-based assignments over a five day period. A score of 70% or higher on the comprehensive exam is required for successful completion. The course covers all NAVSEA requirements and skill sets in depth. Upon successful completion of this course, the attendee will receive a NAVSEA Cableway Certification Card.
 
 
Blueprint Reading and Technical Drawing Orientation
Location sponsored by Earl Industries
COST: $350.00 VSRA Members; $425.00 Non-VSRA Members
DATE: March 17-20, September 15-18, 2009, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
LOCATION:  Earl Industries, Victory Blvd, Portsmouth, VA
 
This course is directed to rising welders and shipfitters, or workers who need a familiarity with blueprint terminology, symbols and design features specific to ships. The course provides 28 hours of instruction with take-home activities, 3 quizzes and a final exam.  Attendees will receive critical drawing analysis experience, as well as hands-on blueprint activities.  For a complete course outline please contact the VSRA office.
 
 
Please register on the VSRA website www.virginiashiprepair.org for above seminars. Online registrations are preferred; however, phone reservations can be accommodated. For questions/help registering please call our office at 757-233-7034.
 
**Please note, you must be logged in to receive the discounted VSRA price for seminars.**
 
Refund & Cancellation Policy: VSRA offers courses at a greatly reduced rate to our members. Cancellations must be made within 4 business days of the course date to receive full credit contingent on slots being filled. Late cancellations will be given a 50% credit towards future training or 100% if open slot is filled. No-shows WILL BE CHARGED the course fee, and no refunds will be made. Substitutions are welcome; however, please contact the VSRA office as soon as possible. If VSRA has to reschedule or cancel a course, we will work with your company to place employees in a future training course.
 
 

SHIP REPAIR PUTS ITS BEST LEGO FORWARD!

From two teams in 2007, we now have 11 Middle School teams entered in our 3rd Annual LEGO Ship Repair competition! Over 100 students will work hands on with ship repair industry professionals and compete for cash awards that go from  our Foundation to their schools. The competition is held at Nauticus April 24th at 8:00 a.m. – so mark your calendar and support our future as they compete to impress us with their design and innovation skills! With so many teams your sponsorship is still welcome!

Please say thank you to the companies and schools who have volunteered their staff and time to work with our Lego teams!

BLAIR MIDDLE SCHOOL/ Ms. Nanette Dean sponsored by David Burt at AMSEC LLC

GREAT BRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL/Mr. Jim Hamblett sponsored by Ted Ansell at Tecnico Corporation

JF KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL/ Mr. Sam Hargrove sponsored by Catherine Slee & Salvador Perez at MARMC

JOHN YEATES MIDDLE SCHOOL/Mr. Alton Christmas sponsored by Chet Heyman at Stanley's Marine & Industrial Services LLC

KINGS FORK MIDDLE SCHOOL/Ms. Debra Shapiro sponsored by Viki Rodriguez at Colonna's Shipyard Inc.

LAFAYETTE-WINONA MIDDLE SCHOOL/ Mr. Cuthrell Brockington sponsored by Ken Newman at Metro Machine Corporation

MEADOWBROOK SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES/ Mr. Alex Witowski sponsored by Lee Scarbrow at Tecnico Corporation

NORTHSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL/ Mr. Keith Collison sponsored by Jay Matthews at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair

NORVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL/ Mr. Alan Kadans sponsored by Rick Schall at Chugach 

ROSEMONT MIDDLE SCHOOL/Mr. Jeff DeCastillia sponsored by Ken Southard at Safway

WILLIAM RUFFNER MIDDLE SCHOOL/Mr. Rodrick Barnes sponsored by Monica Lamb & Rob Simpson at Stanley's Marine & Industrial Services LLC