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-1- HMS Global Maritime Charting Success on a Global Scalewww.hmsgm.com

Letter from the President Our Corporate Culture

Sept

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15Communicator Newsletter

Last week, we held our quarterly HMS Global Maritime Management Meeting in Louisville. I enjoy these meetings as they provide an opportunity for me to sit down with our leadership team and discuss how we make HMS Global Maritime a better place to work and the employer of choice. One of the topics we discussed at length was our corporate culture.

Corporate culture refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that characterize members of an organization and define its nature. Corporate culture is rooted in an organization’s goals, strategies, structure and approaches to labor, customers, investors and the greater community. As such, it is an essential component in any business’s ultimate success or failure.

I asked our managers if they could only choose one word to describe our culture, what would it be? The answers were very interesting. Some words used to describe our culture were ‘hardworking’, ‘opportunity’, ‘integrity’ and ‘buzzing’.

I was not surprised by these words as many of them relate to our Core Values or Code of Conduct.

Hardworking describes our Code of Conduct for a Dedicated Work Ethic, specifically, “We strongly believe in the concept of an honest day’s work for an honest days pay.”

Integrity, describes one of our Core Values of, “Our principles require professional and corporate integrity at all times.”

I recently read an article on corporate culture. The author believed that if one asked an employee five specific questions, they would learn about the essence of that particular company’s corporate culture. These five questions are as follows:• What 10 words would you use to describe your company?• Around here what’s really important?• Around here who gets promoted?• Around here what behaviors get rewarded?• Around here who fits in and who doesn’t?

As these questions suggest, every company has a culture—but not all cultures (or aspects of them) help a company reach its goals. The questions also suggest that companies may have a “real culture,” discernible by answering these questions, and another one which may sound better but may not be the true one.

Corporate culture by definition affects a firm’s operations. It is also, by definition, something that flows from management outward. In many corporations, the “culture” was set very early on by the charismatic

John W. Waggoner

President/CEOHMS Global Maritime

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Money MattersTeaching Your Children About Money

American Queen Steamboat CompanyAmerican Queen Cadet Program Unique Industry Opportunity

Safety, Quality & Environment Single-Use Personal Protective Equipment

Employee Spotlight Tess Douglas

HR UpdateOpt for Optimism

2015 Annual Employee Survey

Seaward Services, Inc. Flag Letter of Commendation Received by Rob Galvez and Team

Employee Forum Job Postings, New Hires, Promotions and Transfers

HMS Ferries, Inc. State of Alabama Provides Gee’s Bend Ferry Landing Upgrades3

9See LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, page 2


LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, continued from page 1

activity and leadership of a founder. This was the case with HMS Global Maritime. Our Mission Statement, Core Values and Code of Conduct were all developed when we were a very young company. But as major tendencies become deeply institutionalized, corporate culture also becomes an institutional habit that newcomers acquire. In actual practice, “reinventing” the corporation from the top down, therefore, is difficult to achieve, takes time and happens only under strong leadership. It is very important that our senior managers and middle managers constantly remind our team members of our corporate culture and that we live this on a daily basis.

Our corporate culture is one of the many keys to our success. I would enjoy hearing from each of you on how you would answer the five

questions posed above. Please feel free to email me at [email protected].

Thanks again for your continued support and dedication to HMS Global Maritime. We continue to build a world-class company.

Until next month,

Core Value SpotlightBecause of the significance that our core values hold in each work day, the executive team has decided to add a new section to the Communicator that showcases a person or team that has demonstrated one of our core values. This month, we are featuring Kristen Cox.

Kristen CoxHR Manager, Seaward Services

New Albany, IN

Core value: Integrity

“In the quick year or so that I have worked with Kristen, I have found her to be of a high morale standard and good character. In terms of integrity, I think a quote by Tony Dungy is fitting: ‘Integrity, the choice between what’s convenient and what’s right.’”

-- Bill Annand, President, Seaward Services

September is the peak season for apple harvesting, so it’s only appropriate that our September recipe is baked apple chips. These are perfect for a snack and are simple and healthy. Enjoy!

Recipe of the Month

Baked Apple Chips

INGREDIENTS3 large red delicious apples, cored

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp sugar

Recipe & photo from http://sugarapron.com/2014/09/23/baked-ap-ple-chips-recipe/#more-600

DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the apples as thin as possible. Lay apple slices on parchment paper, making sure not to overlap them, sprinkle mix of cinnamon and sugar onto the sliced apples. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Then flip apples, add cinnamon to the other side and bake for another 40-50 minutes. They should look shriveled up a bit and slightly golden brown. They should feel pretty dry to the touch. Remove from oven and let ‘chips’ cool completely before transferring to a sealed container for up to three days, but these are best eaten within a couple hours of removing from the oven.


State of Alabama Provides Gee’s Bend Ferry Landing UpgradesCORE VALUES: Service ExcellenceAs we have reported in the past, one of our job sites is Gee’s Bend, Alabama, which holds an important part in our nation’s history. Gee’s Bend is a small town, enclosed on three sides by the Alabama River, within a horseshoe shaped turn of the river named Gee’s Bend. The town is about a two-hour drive north from Mobile, Alabama.

The history of Gee’s Bend is symbolic of the south’s history, as the area was originally a plantation started by Joseph Gee. Given the plantation was located on the bend of the Alabama River, the area became known as “Gee’s Bend.” The Gee’s family sold the plantation to their relative Mark H. Pettway in 1845. About a year later, the Pettway family moved from North Carolina to Gee’s Bend, bringing about 100 slaves with them. When slavery was finally abolished, many of the individuals continued working for the Pettway’s as sharecroppers and eventually established the township of Camden.

In a demonstration of a long-term commitment to the Gee’s Bend area, the State of Alabama recently devoted a great deal of resources to improve the infrastructure of the ferry landings. Prior to the renovations and upgrades, the ferry landings had no running water and gravel roads. The recent improvements include pavement of access roads to the loading ramp, new gates, landscaping, an improved work trailer and a bathroom facility at the Camden landing. These projects took about four months and are anticipated to further encourage visitors to the ferry and the historically-rich region. Some photos of the improvements can be seen below.

Greg Dronkert

President & COOHMS Ferries, Inc.

Pierce County, WA | Oklahoma City, OKGees Bend, AL | Mobile Bay, AL

Corpus Christi, TX | Jacksonville, FLGovernors Island, NY

HMS Ferries congratulates all of our shipmates for their achievements throughout the year. We would like to send special congratulations to the following shipmates for their hard work and achievement in completing the following:

Frank RodaGovernors IslandSuccessfully completed Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids course at MITAGS

Trever McCollum Governors Island Successfully completed Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids course at MITAGS

Rodney Emberty Oklahoma City River CruisesRecently completed his qualification as a Deckhand

Jennifer Larrison Mobile Bay Ferry Completed AB School and is awaiting her AB credential from the Coast Guard

Emily Burt Pierce County FerryRecently completed here deckhand qualification after transitioning from the Ticket Agent position. She has proven to set the standard for customer service, volunteers to fill short notice watch vacancies, and was recently recognized for her Service Excellence.

Top Left: The Gee’s Bend Ferry landing received new pavement roads from the State of Alabama as one of several improvements to the site.

Left: New trees have been planted in front of an improved work trailer.

Above: New bathroom facilities are now available at the Gee’s Bend Ferry site.


Rob Galvez, General Manager for our Norfolk, VA Seaward Services site, along with his team, received high praise from S.A. Stearney, Commander, Navy Warfare Development Command. Rob and his team at Norfolk supported project demonstrations for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) on June 30, 2015. He coordinated and prepared staff and equipment to be able to provide support for the demonstrations for the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) event. In addition to being prepared,

Rob showed impressive flexibility to be able to adjust to uncertainty and obstacles.

Congratulations Rob, on receiving such high praises and on a job well done! We are proud to have innovative and service-minded employees representing and leading our team!

Details from the memo can be found below:

New Albany, IN | Norfolk, VANewport, RI | Okinawa, Japan

Dania Beach, FL | Philadelphia, PAPanama City Beach, FL

CORE VALUES: Innovation, Service Excellence

Bill Annand

President & COO Seaward Services,

Inc.

Flag Letter of Commendation Received by Rob Galvez and Team

Left: A Flag Letter of Commendation from S.A. Stearney, Commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, compliments the efforts of Rob Galvez and his crew in Norfolk for hosting a successful Navy event.

Below: Pictured left to right are Tom Kush, Waterfront Manager; CDR B. Salazar, CNO’s Rapid Innovation Cell Director; and Rob Galvez, General Manager, Seaward Services, Norfolk, VA.


American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC), as well as other HMS Global Maritime companies, is partnering with several maritime academies throughout the U.S. to groom the next generation of professional mariners. This is a unique program that has many benefits all around. It allows cadets to gain valuable experience and AQSC to make connections for future mariner recruiting opportunities. Cadets have the chance to be exposed to all aspects of marine operations by spending time working on the deck, in the engine room and the pilothouse onboard.

Many aspects of the U.S. maritime fleet industry are on the decline, leaving fewer opportunities for those interested to earn experience through an internship/apprenticeship program. Through AQSC’s program, cadets have the chance to work in and learn more about the passenger vessel industry. There is a lot of room for growth in this niche, which is anticipated to provide many job opportunities in the future. AQSC hopes to capitalize on its unique position and continue to expand the program further.

This past summer, we had three cadets onboard the American Queen. Richard Bryant, Dominic Blanton and Lucas Spinosa, pictured to the right, attend Texas A&M Maritime Academy, in Galveston, TX. Each of them has an interest in continuing their careers in the maritime industry upon graduation. They came to the American Queen with a high-level of education, enthusiasm and excitement. As a part of the program, each cadet is assigned a project to complete while onboard. For example, one cadet’s project was to make up several drawings showing the vessel

general arrangement, steam engines and steering gear. Crew and officers onboard helped the cadets learn the processes, functions and capabilities of the vessel. Cadets with a traditional maritime education complement crew that began in entry-level positions and have worked their way up, also known as ‘hawse pipers.’

The Texas A&M Maritime Academy has many students from the gulf coast region, also within the hiring region for AQSC. The internship program and partnership with the academy present a unique and great opportunity for both cadets and AQSC to work together, make connections and experience working on the American Queen. AQSC has plans to develop the program further in both the deck and engineering departments in hopes to continue building relationships. This will help secure quality candidates to continue to build a future in the company.

Memphis, TN | Vancouver, WA

American Queen Cadet Program Unique Industry Opportunity

Ted Sykes

President/COOAmerican Queen Steamboat Company

CORE VALUE: Teamwork, Innovation

American Queen cadets are pictured with Captain Willits. Pictured left to right are Captain Willits, Dominic Blanton, Lucas Spinosa and Richard Bryant.

Working on the American Queen has been a great opportunity; I have gained valuable experience in an area I otherwise would not have. I have been introduced brown-water, marlinspike seamanship, building bumpers, and splicing line, then handling that very line tying up in port, and going through more locks than I can remember.”

Richard Bryant, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Class of 2016 “


Excerpt from HMSA Everyday, Volume 5 Issue 10

If you consider yourself an optimist, you’re lucky! Optimism has been associated with many positive outcomes. In A Primer in Positive Psychology, author Christopher Petersen, PhD claims “…optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to perseverance and effective problem solving; to academic, athletic and occupational success; to popularity; to good health; and even to long life and freedom from trauma.”

If you tend to be pessimistic, take heart! The way you look at life, whether positive or negative, is a habit and habits can be changed. You can reap the rewards of being an optimistic person. The first step is to become aware of your attitude. Do you automatically expect the worst of people or situations? Do you brood over what the future will bring? Once you identify yourself as a “half-empty” kind of person it’s time to opt for optimism. This may take some practice. Here are some simple steps to get started:

• Be proactive rather than reactive. Instead of griping about things that happen to you, set goals for yourself and work hard to make good things happen. You may not always succeed but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you gave it your best shot. If something bad does happen view it as an isolated incident and move on.

• Speaking of good things, find ways to share small kindnesses with friends and strangers. You will be on the receiving end of some positive feelings.

• Keep positive thoughts in the forefront. Find some helpful phrases, such as “Anything is possible” or “I choose to look at

the positive side” and repeat them to yourself or put them up where you can look at them frequently.

• Avoid negative people, if possible. If you can’t avoid them ignore their negativity.

• Fake it. Even if you’re not having the best of days, put on a happy face and smile at people. You’ll be surprised at how good this can make you feel.

• Take time to count your blessings. Focusing on the positive aspects of your life will minimize the negatives.

• Make time for exercise. It’s a mood booster.• Surround yourself with upbeat music, books, movies, etc. It

helps to reinforce that positive spirit.

Human Resources

Opt for Optimism

It’s time once again for the Annual Employee Survey! Each year, HMS Global Maritime issues a survey for every employee to have an opportunity to provide feedback and opinions regarding given topics. Our President & CEO, John Waggoner, values the input from each employee for this survey so the corporate team has an indication of things that are working as well as any areas of opportunity for us to take action.

The survey can be accessed at any time for completion with the website and password listed below. If employees do not have a computer available to them outside the workplace, please make arrangements around the employee’s scheduled shift for a time to complete the survey on a computer within our company.

Website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HMSGM2015surveyPassword: HMSGM

There are a few important things to note regarding the survey. Employees are able to access the survey and provide responses through September 19, 2015. It is important to note that this survey is completely confidential, and only the results and open-ended responses are provided to us. If assistance is needed to access the survey or if there are additional questions regarding the survey, please don’t hesitate to contact Ana-Licia Allen in Corporate HR at 812-207-2609 or [email protected].

Your responses and comments are greatly welcomed. We appreciate you taking the time to provide us feedback!

2015 Annual Employee Survey Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

If you could use guidance with life’s challenges, check out the free, voluntary and strictly confidential EAP.

EAP Counselor: 1-800-767-5320

Online Resources: www.my-life-resource.comUsername: hmsaPassword: myresource

…optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to perseverance and effective problem solving; to academic, athletic and occupational success; to popularity; to good health; and even to long life and freedom from trauma.”“


Money Matters

Provided by Kevin Maynard, CFA, Sortino Advisory Partners

Ask your five-year old where money comes from, and the answer you’ll probably get is “From a machine!” Even though children don’t always understand where money really comes from, they realize at a young age that they can use it to buy the things they want. So as soon as your child becomes interested in money, start teaching him or her how to handle it wisely. The simple lessons you teach today will give your child a solid foundation for making a lifetime of financial decisions.

LESSON 1: LEARNING TO HANDLE AN ALLOWANCE An allowance is often a child’s first brush with financial independence. With allowance money in hand, your child can begin saving and budgeting for the things he or she wants.

It’s up to you to decide how much to give your child based on your values and family budget, but a rule of thumb used by many parents is to give a child 50 cents or 1 dollar for every year of age. To come up with the right amount, you might also want to consider what your child will need to pay for out of his or her allowance, and how much of it will go into savings.

Some parents ask their child to earn an allowance by doing chores around the house, while others give their child an allowance with no strings attached. If you’re not sure which approach is better, you might want to compromise. Pay your child a small allowance, and then give him or her the chance to earn extra money by doing chores that fall outside of his or her normal household responsibilities.

If you decide to give your child an allowance, here are some things to keep in mind:• Set some parameters. Sit down and talk to your child about the

types of purchases you expect him or her to make, and how much of the allowance should go towards savings.

• Stick to a regular schedule. Give your child the same amount of money on the same day each week.

• Consider giving an allowance “raise” to reward your child for handling his or her allowance well.

LESSON 2: OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT Taking your child to your local bank or credit union to open an account (or opening an account online) is a simple way to introduce the concept of saving money. Your child will learn how savings accounts work, and will soon enjoy making deposits.

Many banks and credit unions have programs that provide activities and incentives designed to help children learn financial basics. Here are some other ways you can help your child develop good savings habits:• Help your child understand how interest compounds by

showing him or her how much “free money” has been earned on deposits.

• Offer to match whatever your child saves towards a long-term goal.

• Let your child take a few dollars out of the account occasionally. Young children who see money going into the account but never coming out may quickly lose interest in saving.

LESSON 3: SETTING AND SAVING FOR FINANCIAL GOALS When your children get money from relatives, you want them to save it for college, but they’d rather spend it now. Let’s face it: children don’t always see the value of putting money away for the future. So how can you get your child excited about setting and saving for financial goals? Here are a few ideas:• Let your child set his or her own goals (within reason). This will

give your child some incentive to save.• Encourage your child to divide his or her money up. For

instance, your child might want to save some of it towards a long-term goal, share some of it with a charity, and spend some of it right away.

• Write down each goal, and the amount that must be saved each day, week, or month to reach it. This will help your child learn the difference between short-term and long-term goals.

• Tape a picture of an item your child wants to a goal chart, bank, or jar. This helps a young child make the connection between setting a goal and saving for it.

Finally, don’t expect a young child to set long-term goals. Young children may lose interest in goals that take longer than a week or two to reach. And if your child fails to reach a goal, chalk it up to experience. Over time, your child will learn to become a more disciplined saver.

LESSON 4: BECOMING A SMART CONSUMER Commercials. Peer pressure. The mall. Children are constantly tempted to spend money but aren’t born with the ability to spend it wisely. Your child needs guidance from you to make good buying decisions. Here are a few things you can do to help your child become a smart consumer:• Set aside one day a month to take your child shopping. This

will encourage your child to save up for something he or she really wants rather than buying something on impulse.

• Just say no. You can teach your child to think carefully about purchases by explaining that you will not buy him or her something every time you go shopping. Instead, suggest that your child try items out in the store, then put them on a birthday or holiday wish list.

• Show your child how to compare items based on price and quality. For instance, when you go grocery shopping, teach him or her to find the prices on the items or on the shelves, and explain why you’re choosing to buy one brand rather than another.

• Let your child make mistakes. If the toy your child insists on buying breaks, or turns out to be less fun than it looked on the commercials, eventually your child will learn to make good choices even when you’re not there to give advice.

This information was developed by Broadridge, an independent third party. It is general in nature, is not a complete statement of all information necessary for making an investment decision, and is not a recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investments and strategies mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance may not be indicative of future results.

If you have questions, you may contact Kevin Maynard, CFA, Sortino Advisory Partners at 502-371-9854 or [email protected].

Teaching Your Children About Money


Written and submitted by Allen Naugle, PE, PMP, HMSGM Corporate Director of Safety, Quality, Environmental and Regulatory

Did you know that a lot of personal protective equipment is intended for single-use only?

Things like fall protection harnesses, safety-toed shoes and hard hats are good examples. Whenever these safety devices have done their job and protected your life from a slip and fall from heights, your feet from a heavyweight dropping on them or a serious head injury from a falling object, those devices should be immediately replaced.

This doesn’t apply to things like welding helmets, respirators, gloves and such. These items only need replacing if, through use, they get torn, cracked or otherwise compromised.

We had an incident a few weeks ago where a good pair of safety-toed shoes saved somebody’s foot from surgery and a long stint of rehab. After a just-to-be-sure trip to the doctor, the crewman was pronounced whole and hale, and sent back to duty with no restrictions! Those

shoes did their job. But now, we can’t be sure we can trust them to do the job again. Perhaps the metal or Kevlar was slightly bent or now has a hairline crack. Maybe some threads loosened up as a result of the trauma to the shoe. Whatever it might be, we just don’t know. It’s just safer, and in some cases a requirement of the governing standard, that these injury-preventing devices be replaced.

Replacing used injury-preventive personal protective equipment is a small price to pay for renewed peace-of-mind, for you, your supervisor, myself, and the entire company.

Notice that I used the term ‘safety-toed’ rather than ‘steel-toed’. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard (F2413-11) that governs safety footwear doesn’t specify a specific type of material, it specifies performance when tested. I have been using Kevlar-toed boots for more than 15 years, as I find them a bit lighter and easier on my feet. (But that’s a personal preference thing.) As long as the shoes carry an ASTM seal of approval, they are good for use -- even those, ahem, old combat boots that are still in my closet.

As always, if you have any questions, give me a call or drop me a line.

Safety, Quality & EnvironmentSingle-Use Personal Protective EquipmentCORE VALUE: Safety First, Integrity

Tess Douglas began as the HR Coordinator for American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC) in March 2015 and brought seven years of experience in the hospitality industry to the AQSC team. Previously, she worked her way up through many positions at Hilton Worldwide, beginning as a part-time operator and eventually becoming a manager. While gaining this valuable experience, she also attended the University of Memphis where she found an interest in human resources. Tess graduated with a degree in Professional Studies with an emphasis in HR and Workplace Culture in May 2013. As HR Coordinator, she is responsible for maintaining and updating employee information, employee file reviews, seatime letters, education assistance and other HR-related needs following the on-

boarding process. Tess loves the her job, but the thing she enjoys the most is visiting the vessels, meeting employees in person and putting names to faces.

Memphis, TN is her hometown and where she currently resides. Tess spends most of her time outside of work with her two daughters (usually shopping) and trying new restaurants around town. She also enjoys being outdoors any chance she gets and white-water rafting.

We are lucky to have Tess on our team! She’s a very valuable resource for all of our

employees, especially those at AQSC. We’re glad to have you, Tess!

Employee Spotlight

Meet Tess DouglasCORE VALUE: Teamwork


Employee Forum

Port Engineer, Dauphin Island, AL Captain, Jacksonville, FL

Deckhand, Jacksonville, FLToll Collector, Jacksonville, FL

Chief Engineer, New York City, NYPort Engineer, New York City, NY

Captain, Philadelphia, PA

Logistics Inventory Manager, New Albany, INAdministrative Assistant, New Albany, IN

Warehouse Specialist, Norfolk, VAReceptionist, Norfolk, VA

2nd Cook, American EmpressBand Member/Guitarist, American Empress

Bartender, American EmpressGalley Porter, American Empress

Housekeeping Attendant, American EmpressPorter, American EmpressWaiter, American Empress

Chief Mate, American QueenHead Bartender, American Queen

Head Waiter, American QueenWaiter, American Queen

Information Technology (IT) Manager, Memphis, TN

If you are interested in any of these positions or have a referral please visit the careers section of www.HMSGM.com. Current employees please speak to your supervisor or manager before applying through the Internal Opportunities portal on the careers section of www.HMSGM.com.

New Hires:Open Positions:Joetta Lopez-Garcia Waiter American EmpressKathryn Norton Waiter American EmpressAlonzo Guerrero Galley Porter American EmpressKayla Schaeffer Galley Porter American EmpressJoseph Patton Porter American EmpressHeather Pavlich Housekeeping Attendant American EmpressAngela Payne Waiter American QueenJai Dodson Waiter American QueenEric Pierson Waiter American QueenJacques Woodson Waiter American QueenWilliam Howard Waiter American QueenHannah Timm Ensemble American QueenGeorge Pepp Galley Porter American QueenDerek Roberts Sous Chef American QueenRafael Tompkins Waiter American QueenMichael Brant Purser American QueenElizabeth Johnson Purser American QueenAndrew Roberts Fireman American QueenChanelle Reed Outbound Call Representative Memphis, TNChristopher Pollock Maintenance Technician HMS AlabamaKarron Smith Ticket Agent Philadelphia, PABrittany Schalow Ticket Agent Pierce County, WABryant Carter Intern Pierce County, WAGregg Jensen Intern Pierce County, WA

Lauren Burrows Waiter American EmpressScott Greevy Second Cook American EmpressNicholas Palasek First Cook American EmpressJames Sawyer Second Cook American Queen Chong-Ae Schmidt Senior Deckhand Moline, IL James O’Donnell Engineer Philadelphia, PA Benjamin Howard Master Pierce County, WATricia Barber Senior Deckhand Pierce County, WA

Promotions:

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