Winners of Rear Adm. Bennis award for excellence in maritime security announced

The Port of Texas City Security Council was recently awarded the 2018 Rear Admiral Richard E. Bennis Award (Small Company category) for excellence in maritime security by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The biennial Bennis award serves to highlight and recognize outstanding achievements and contributions of the maritime community with regards to implementation of Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) requirements and other maritime security best practices in safeguarding our nation’s marine transportation system.

According to Rear Admiral John Nadeau, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, the Coast Guard received many applications for consideration this cycle and a panel of evaluators reviewed each award application. RDML Nadeau stated that the competition for the award this year exceeded the Coast Guard’s expectations and is a clear indication of the maritime industry's commitment to maritime security.

“The Port of Texas City Security Council is honored to receive the U. S. Coast Guard’s Bennis Award as it shows the hard work and dedication of the Council’s members, staff, contractors and community partners to keeping the Port of Texas City and the surrounding community safe and secure," said Security Council Chairman Shane Long. "This award reflects the team effort among the corporate members of the Security Council and the various government agencies such as the Texas City Police Department, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard in securing the Port of Texas City and the surrounding community. We endeavor to fulfill this commitment every day across the Port."

The Port of Texas City Security Council, Inc. was formed in 2008 by the companies that operate maritime-related facilities in or near the Port of Texas City. The Council is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose membership consists of fifteen businesses that conduct operations in or near the Port of Texas City. 

The principal purpose of the Security Council is to provide security services to its members, protect the surrounding community and conduct security-related outreach and education. Member organizations of the Security Council include Amato Linehandlers, Best Bet Marine Services, BP Amoco Chemical Company, Buffalo Marine Service, Inc., The Dallas Group of America, Inc., Eastman Chemical Company, Enterprise Products Partners, Marathon Petroleum Company, Galveston Bay Refinery, NuStar Energy, Oiltanking, Oxbow Energy Solutions, LLC, Piling, Inc., the Port of Texas City, and Valero Energy.

The Bennis award serves as a tool to encourage all regulated organizations to assess their overall security program to identify strengths and weaknesses, seek creative solutions for addressing known risks, build a system of continuous improvement, and share best practices that would benefit similar organizations. 

The categories in this year's award were Port Authority of the Year, Company of the Year (Large Business: 50 or more employees and Small Business: 49 or fewer employees), and Facility of the Year (Large Business: 50 or more employees and Small Business: 49 or fewer employees). Organizations were evaluated in criteria such as partnerships, people, process, physical security and other security activities. 

Further Information is available at:
 http://mariners.coastguard.dodlive.mil/2018/03/13/3-13-2018-winners-of-rear-adm-bennis-award-for-excellence-in-maritime-security-announced/