[Coral-List] Retirement

[Billy Causey]

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?