Coast Guard Foundation to Honor HII’s Petters

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced that its 35th Annual Salute to the U.S. Coast Guard will honor Mike Petters of Huntington Ingalls Industries for his long time support of the Foundation and its mission.

 

Keynote speakers will include Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, captain of ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ US Airlines flight 1549 and Admiral Paul Zukunft, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Master of Ceremonies will be Gus Rosendale, news anchor with NBC 4 New York.

 

President and CEO of America's largest military shipbuilding company, Petters is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a physics degree and holds a Masters of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary. He previously served as president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and as president of Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector. Petters is on the executive committee of the Aerospace Industries Association. He serves on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates and as vice chairman of the Virginia Business Council. He also serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and the National Bureau of Asian Research; on the board of trustees of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation; on the distinguished advisory board for the Dolphin Scholarship Foundation; and on the advisory council for the Naval Historical Foundation.

 

Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, III is a safety expert and safety advocate, best-selling author, speaker, consultant and serves as the CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert. He was hailed as a national hero when he successfully executed the emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan on January 15, 2009. Both engines of the aircraft were disabled after it struck a flock of Canada geese.

 

Admiral Paul Zukunft serves as the 25th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. In his role, he leads the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security, composed of 88,000 personnel including active duty, reserve, civilian and volunteer auxiliarists.

 

“The Salute to the U.S. Coast Guard in New York City is one of the Coast Guard Foundation’s oldest traditions,” said Anne Brengle, president, Coast Guard Foundation. “We honor the exceptional heroism of Coast Guard members from around the country to shine a light on the vital role the men and women of the service play in our country’s safety and security. We are thrilled to have such distinguished speakers and guests. This will be our biggest celebration yet.”

 

The Coast Guard Foundation’s 35th Annual Salute to the U.S. Coast Guard will take place on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at the Times Square Marriott Marquis in New York. A cocktail reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., dinner and the program will follow at 7:30 p.m.