[Coral-List] Retirement

[Jim Hendee]

John Halas and EMI have helped install every one of our CREWS stations:
Lee Stocking Island (Bahamas, twice), Salt River (St. Croix, USVI, twice),
La Parguera (Puerto Rico), Discovery Bay (Jamaica), Little Cayman (Cayman
Islands), and Lao Lao Bay (Saipan).  But they're not done!  Next up (for
the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center): Calabash Cay, Belize, and
if our plans come together, one more in Belize, Trinidad & Tobago, St.
Lucia, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Cuba.  The guy is amazing!
Incredible stamina, knowledge of coral reef ecosystems, underwater
machinery, drilling...and on top of all that, he's a great guy.  I'm so
lucky to still be working with him and Judy!  GREAT team!

  Cheers, Jim

On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 11:43 AM, Billy Causey <billy.causey at noaa.gov>wrote:

> John,
> It was  great diving with you again last Saturday!  We had 2 beautiful
> dives and shared loads of old stories and tales.  Dan Basta, Ken
> Nedimyer, Steve Gittings and Sean Morton helped make it a memorable
> and enjoyable trip.  Our last dive on the City of Washington and the
> Elbow Reef was a beautiful dive and we were able to see and experience
> some of the things you have worked your entire career to protect and
> conserve.  It was a special day.
>
> You will be missed by all of us, but we also know where to find you.
> Without a doubt, you have made many major contributions to the
> management, conservation and protection of coral reef systems in the
> Keys and around the world.   Over time all of those contributions will
> be realized and celebrated.  For example, few people recall that you
> were the first to ever conduct a vessel grounding assessment on a
> coral reef for NOAA.  In 1982, two shrimp boats grounded at Looe Key
> Reef ....in the National Marine Sanctuary and you conducted the very
> first successful assessment that lead to a successful legal
> conclusion.  I could go on and on with lisitng your accomplishments,
> but would run out of time and space.  Just know, your hard work and
> dedication to the National Marine Sanctuary Program has always been
> noticed and appreciated by your peers and colleagues.
>
> Please stay in touch and let us know what great things you and Judy
> are doing for coral reefs around the world.  I will sincerely miss you
> John!
>
> Billy
>
> On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 11:07 AM, John Halas <john.halas at noaa.gov> wrote:
> > All,
> >     Today is my last day after 31 1/2 years with Sanctuaries. Along
> > the way I have met and worked with many wonderful folks that I will
> > always remember. It has been a good run that has opened may doors
> > which has afforded me the opportunity to make many more friends
> > worldwide and open up many opportunities.
> >
> > I was originally hired through the State of Florida Cooperative
> > Agreement for the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. A few months
> > later with the Manila, Philippines 4th International Coral Reef
> > Conference coming up, I asked my supervisor for permission to attend.
> > This was routed to higher authorities and I was told that I could go,
> > if among other things, I agreed to stay with the Sanctuary Program for
> > at least another year. I believe I I have done well in making good on
> > that promise. I am now bequeathing my title as longest standing
> > Florida Sanctuaries employee to Billy Causey to continue to carry that
> > torch.  I am not moving  but will be enjoying all the things that
> > originally brought me here in 1969.
> >
> > I will be around and looking forward to following, and assisting from
> > the other side, the Florida Keys Sanctuary work ahead.
> >
> > My contact email after this weekend is <halas48 at gmail.com>.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > John Halas
> >
> > I
>
>
>
> --
> Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
> Regional Director
> Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region
> NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
> 33 East Quay Road
> Key West, Florida 33040
>
> Office:  305 809 4670 (ex 234)
> Mobile: 305 395 0150
> Fax:     305 293 5011
> Email:  Billy.Causey at noaa.gov
>
> Will Our Grandchildren Remember Us For What We Conserved and Protected
> or For What We Let Slip Away?
>