Development News

by CAPT Robert McKenna (Ret), ’89, Vice President of Development

Greetings and Happy Holidays! It is hard to imagine this unbelievable year is already coming to its end. Our year-end messaging has focused on this theme of Stronger Together, and the proof literally surrounds us here on the campus of CGA. I have noted in prior columns the amazing transformation that took place during the All Present Campaign and the incredible impact our collective efforts made through the $32 million of programmatic and capital improvements (learn more online at www.cgaalumni. org/APImpact). We look forward to christening the Emlen Tunnell Strength and Conditioning Center early in 2021, which will close out the 15 projects funded during this historic campaign.

The overwhelming success of All Present, coupled with the success achieved during the Alumni Center and L44 campaigns, further demonstrates what Stronger Together truly means! We continue to build on this momentum and see growing support for the Campaign for the Maritime Center of Excellence (MCOE). We completed the “leadership phase” of this campaign and thanks to key individuals, Dr. Jim Tyler ’58 and this year’s Distinguished Philanthropist Mr. Randy Hogan ’77, along with the classes listed on the following page, we have raised over $15 million of the anticipated $21 million budget. While an impressive start to this campaign, there have only been 20% of our classes committed to this transformative project so far and we have begun a more comprehensive outreach to all of our Class representatives to talk about becoming part of this historic project.

We continue to be excited by the opportunities that MCOE will bring to the Academy and see its full integration into the academic, leadership and athletic curriculum. The MCOE will complete a decades long effort to transform our waterfront that began with the $8 million L44 campaign and the Class of 1961 sponsored $400,000 R/V GREELEY. Following this, the Academy invested over $25 million in federal supplemental appropriations after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy to update and rebuild the waterfront infrastructure leaving the aging and long-outdated Pine Hall as the last remaining need to fully transform our waterfront into one deserving of our Coast Guard Academy.

After the Academy-funded demolition of Pine Hall, the MCOE will be constructed on the same location and serve as a literal and figurative beacon for the entire Academy community to fully leverage our maritime connection along the Thames River. At our last Board meeting, RADM Kelly further underscored the value and importance of the MCOE, “As the Coast Guard expands and recapitalizes its fleet of cutters and its afloat missions become more and more imperative to our national security, there will be an increasing Service need for more women and men to serve at sea. For that reason, the Maritime Center of Excellence has never been more important. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a focal point in our mission to ‘instill a liking for the sea and its lore’ for the future leaders of the world’s best Coast Guard.”

Moreover, with the vision of the MCOE to serve as the “maritime front door” for the Academy, we see tremendous benefit to the surrounding communities as the state-of-the-art STEM and classroom facilities will help strengthen ongoing partnerships and welcome students and community leaders to our waterfront.

I hope this update further inspires individual and Class Leaders to learn more about getting involved in this next historic campaign, as the legacy of this project will last well into the next century and play a pivotal role in shaping the leaders of our Service for generations to come. Visit our updated website at www.cgaalumni.org/mcoe or contact me directly if you should have any questions.

Finally, in closing, thank you to all our valued members for helping demonstrate what Stronger Together truly means, our Association, Academy and membership continue to benefit from what we accomplish together. December 2020/January 2021