NACON 2008 Coast Guard Awards

Awards

Mr. KESTER is cited for outstanding achievement while serving as Chief, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Department from January 2007 to August 2008. Demonstrating superior professional competence and organizational skill, Mr. KESTER coordinated the realignment of the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Department to correspond to the Coast Guard’s District and Sector constructs. He developed, distributed, and collated the results from the Auxiliary Sector Coordinator questionnaire, an insightful tool that was used to launch the new Auxiliary Sector Coordinator Training program. Exercising strong managerial expertise and guidance, Mr. KESTER fully integrated the Auxiliary Aids-to-Navigation Division into the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Department and transformed it into the Navigation Services Division. As a direct result of his enthusiastic supervision and oversight, the Auxiliary’s Regional Exam Center support was significantly expanded. This resulted in substantial savings to the Coast Guard and tremendous enhancement of its customer service for professional mariners who depend upon Regional Exam Center services. Applying his unparalleled commitment to training and professional development, Mr. KESTER shepherded a major expansion of the Introduction to Marine Safety and the Auxiliary Trident Program Personal Qualification Standards and kept these programs at the forefront of Auxiliary support to Coast Guard missions. Mr. KESTER’s dedication, judgment, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.