Just in case you missed it; our own Jen Haaland was awarded the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Bolling Douglas Memorial Award at the ABYC Annual General Meeting earlier this month. The award is presented to the female member of ABYC, who best exemplifies the life of Bolling Douglas through a passion for boating safety and the significant role ABYC and the Standards play in making boating safe, reliable and enjoyable. This year the AGM was held virtually via Zoom.

Jen made a very positive impression on the ABYC team when she and partner Lucas (another ABYC Master Technician) attended the International Boatbuilders Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) last year and there was unanimous agreement from the ABYC staff and the Douglas Family that Jen exemplifies what the award is all about.

Here is what John Adey (ABYC President) said in his remarks:

“Jen’s colleagues respect her leadership and we have all benefited from her passion. Jen believes strongly in the standards that ABYC has established and admires many of the ABYC leaders that she’s met. In terms of background, Jen’s partner (Lucas McDonald) is also an ABYC Master Marine Technician and they are parents to a young son (Emmett 3 years old) who has spent more time in/around the marine service shop than most boys his age. Jen is also a classically trained musician and plays flute in the Bellingham Community Chamber Orchestra. She helped establish the NW Explorations Safety Committee and served on it for two years. Jen continues to have regular input into the Safety Committee and frequently sends out quizzes and photos (i.e. “Can you spot the error?”) to colleagues. She works hard to set high standards and encourage her colleagues to be tireless “in doing the right thing.”

In addition to being an ABYC Master Technician, Jen has a BA in Fine Arts from Seattle University. Jen received her marine training from the Skagit Valley College Marine Maintenance Technology program and holds ABYC certifications in Marine Electrical, Corrosion, Gasoline, and Diesel Engines. She specializes in AC and DC electrical troubleshooting.

Please join with the rest of the NW Explorations team in congratulating Jen on this well-earned recognition! Here is a link to ABYC’s presentation of the award.

Congratulations Jen from all of your colleagues!!