Addressing MIT Sloan Fellows following Boston Globe Editorial Board, Meeting with Harvard National Security Fellows, and ISC Boston All Hands
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I took a mental health break yesterday (11 March) and spent the day in Boston and Cambridge, MA.
I arrived early and met with the Editorial Board of the Boston Globe. I then met with the National Security Fellows at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In mid day we held an All Hands at ISC Boston with several hundred Guardians. We closed out the day at MIT in Cambridge with the MIT Sloan Fellows. A long but fruitful day. Here is synopsis.
BOSTON GLOBE editorial board:
For those of you who aren't familiar with this term an editorial board is a meeting with the editors and editorial writers of a paper. It is a forum to discuss a broad array of issues and lay the groundwork for potential articles and/or editorials. This was one of the best editorial boards I have have participated in. Topics ranged from LNG permits to wind farms to fishing vessel safety to the Chelsea Street Bridge. Good session! I was accompanied by CAPT Tim Skuby, First District Chief of Staff. Tim was my Port Safety Officer in Group/COTP Long Island Sound circa 1993-96. RADM Dale Gabel was in Iceland doing preps for our North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum to be held this fall.
Harvard Kennedy School of Government National Security Fellows:
I met and had lunch with the National Security Fellows at the Kennedy School. This luncheon was coordinated by our current fellow, CAPT Melissa Bert. The discussion was lively. The group included representatives from the Armed Services in addition to FBI, DHS, and CBP. The focus of the discussion was homeland security, Coast Guard Modernization, piracy, DOD-DHS relationships, Hurricane Katrina/preparedness for natural or man made disasters, and the role of DHS and other non-DOD agencies overseas.
All Hands ISC Boston:
I have held hundreds of All Hands meetings during my career, but this one was special. Somehow, the topics drifted into discussions. The discussions were very meaningful. We talked about modernization, the press of oversight and public affairs on our operations, the difficulties associated with obtaining a clean audit, the challenges we have in accounting for funds and managing year end close outs with our antiquated financial desk top, and the challenges of fishing vessel safety in the First District. My thanks to the dedicated Guardians in the First District.
MIT Sloan Fellows:
I was a 1988-89 Sloan Fellow and this was the 20th Anniversary of my graduation. The Sloan School is an extraordinary experience that combines a diverse international student cohort with unparalleled access to technology and the "state of the art" science that MIT is known for. The focus of my remarks was my favorite definition of leadership ... the ability to reconcile opportunity and competency. The questions were insightful and the dinner that followed included a discussion that ranged from southwest border violence to how we should interact with Generation Y.
Got home near midnight ... tired, but grateful for the opportunity.
