It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague Bob Hendricks, 66, who worked out of our Paducah, KY office. Bob passed in his sleep on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Mourning his passing is his wife of 27 years, Kathy, his family, colleagues, and countless friends. He was very involved with Masonic Lodge #369 in Mayfield, KY, and he loved camping in the wilderness with his beloved dog Buddy.

Bob was a pioneer in the diving world. He served with the U.S. Navy as a diver and a rescue swimmer, achieving the rank of Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator (AW1) Petty Officer 1st Class, attached to the USS Barry. Bob started his own diving company in 1990. In 2016, Bob joined Marine Solutions as a Business Development Manager. He was very instrumental in building our client base in the northern Kentucky and Four Rivers area around western Kentucky.

During his career, Bob served on the board of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) and as the Midwest Chapter Chairperson. He held ADCI dive card Number 8 which he was always very proud to pass along. Bob said his career was not always pleasant, but it was always rewarding. “I’ve seen a lot of things, been a lot of places, met a lot of good people. It’s exciting to see the younger divers thriving and making the industry better.”
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For those who knew and loved Bob, you know he never met a stranger. He always had a story - most of them unfiltered! Thank you, Bob, for sharing your stories, and for helping pave the way to make the diving world safer and better for all divers, you will be missed. 

Marine Solutions' latest project is worth celebrating, as it was conducted by an all-female dive inspection team. The team's mission was to conduct dive inspections of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) waterfront, as part of their Capital Project Scope Development (CPSD) study.

The BNYDC is a non-profit organization that manages the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard on behalf of the City of New York. The CPSD study aims to develop an updated plan that addresses the Brooklyn Navy Yard's needs over the next decade.

The Marine Solutions team assigned to this unique project included Amy Wilkins, P.E., Amanda Schindhelm, P.E., Marianna Fleming, E.I.T., MacKenzie Baeszler, and Olivia Warren. Having an all-women, ADCI-certified dive inspection team is a significant milestone for Marine Solutions, as the commercial diving industry is traditionally male-dominated. While there are certainly women working in commercial diving and as dive inspectors, having an entire team made up of women is a rare occurrence.
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Today, women are increasingly joining the commercial diving workforce, creating more opportunities for women to pursue a career in this field. Many women have become successful in various areas of the industry, including underwater welding, salvage operations, and underwater construction. By having a team of women dive inspectors, a fresh perspective is brought to the table, paving the way for more creative and effective solutions. The crew’s work is an inspiration to women, and we are proud to be a part of history!

Don Wilkins, Senior Vice President and Director of Diving Services at Marine Solutions, was nominated and elected as the new Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) President. ADCI promotes best industry practice with respect to the health and safety of commercial divers and underwater operations. Don has served on the board of ADCI for over ten years.
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From 2013 to 2021, Don was the Midwest Chapter Chair and board member. From 2022 to 2023, he was on the Board of Directors, and he most recently served as 1st Vice President. Don has devoted his career to safety for underwater operations and is honored to promote ADCI's mission to promote safe practices, training, communication, and accountability in the industry.

19th Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky Award Winners Announced
 
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KYSHRM) and ClearPath Mutual Insurance Company announce the 100 companies (in alphabetical order) that made the 19th Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky list.
 
The winner rankings will be announced at the awards dinner Thursday, June 8, 2023, at the Central Bank Center.
 
Winners from across the state have been selected in three categories: small companies of 15-149 employees, medium companies of 150-499 employees and large companies consisting of more than 500 employees (categories based on number of U.S. employees, only Kentucky employees surveyed). The selection process, managed by Workforce Research Group, is based on an assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey.
 
The competition is a multi-year initiative designed to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence. Numerous studies show a strong correlation between profitability and creating a good place to work.
 
For over 75 years, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has represented the interests of member businesses throughout Kentucky – from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies. As the state’s premier business advocate, the Kentucky Chamber is a recognized and respected voice across the Commonwealth, working every day to unite business and advance Kentucky.
 
Kentucky SHRM consists of 12 local chapters that provide ongoing education and leadership opportunities for over 3,000 human resource professionals throughout the Commonwealth.
 
For more details about Best Places to Work in Kentucky, visit bestplacestoworkkentucky.com.
 

It’s the season of giving, and at Marine Solutions, we understand the importance of doing good in our community. Through our Making Waves program, we are able to help individuals, families, and organizations in need throughout the year, but Christmas is a special time. We are passionate about creating a better environment, especially during the holiday season.
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This year, we had the opportunity to give back in several ways:

• Our New Jersey office decorated a tree with gift cards they will be handing out to their building’s crew including maintenance, security, etc.
• Our office in Nicholasville, KY donated over 65 wreaths to Wreaths Across America, a program that places wreaths on the headstones of veterans at cemeteries nationwide. We also participated in a coat drive for the YMCA and Catholic Action Center, and a donation was given to The Salvation Army to help in taking care of Lexington’s homeless community.
• In Maryland, we worked with The Arc of Baltimore to adopt a family. This involved shopping for each member of the family to provide gifts and essential items they may need to get through the winter season.

​Marine Solutions recently received an urgent request from Steven Pickel, Senior Associate with Johnson Mirmiran and Thompson (JMT) and a representative from Carroll County, MD to assist in closing a hatch on a water tower that had accidentally sprung open.
 
After a call with JMT and other personnel, Marine Solutions' Rope Access Field Supervisor Brian Hughes, drove up later that same day to do a binocular inspection of the tower and to develop a quick access plan. During the binocular inspection, Brian was able to verify that the existing locking mechanisms were still intact, and that it was unlikely that any modifications would need to be made to the hatch itself to close it. 
 
The following morning, Brian was met by Cassidy Manning and Chris Devers to help climb the tower and to also pilot the drone to take footage of the job. The team donned the necessary PPE and safely climbed the tower. Cassidy successfully closed the hatch, and in doing so protected the public's drinking water. Chris piloted the drone and was able to get quite a bit of exciting footage of the work done by Marine Solutions!

As director of Marine Solutions’ Maryland office, Amanda (Mandy) Schindhelm, PE always exhibits the highest level of professionalism and commitment. We are so proud of Mandy who, after a rigorous applications process, received her ACOPNE board certification and was inducted for certification this week.

ACOPNE board certifications are the highest level of advanced post-license certifications offered in the civil engineering field, and they recognize engineers who have an advanced degree of expertise in the fields of coastal, ocean, port, and navigation engineering. A Board Certified Engineer is one of the highest designations available and is highly respected in the profession of civil engineering.

There are many benefits of ACOPNE board certification. Not only is a Board Certified Engineer recognized as a credible professional, they are also recognized by clients, employers, and peers. The designation also demonstrates a strong commitment to professionalism, mastery of specialties, and a strong commitment to stay updated on the newest innovations in technology.
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Congratulations, Mandy! We are so excited to see your new certification take you to new levels in your career!

The Marine Solutions family could not be having a better time in Honolulu, Hawaii at PORTS ’22!

The PORTS Conference series gives an opportunity to professionals to network with hundreds who share similar challenges and concerns. This series of conferences has consistently drawn an international audience of port, harbor, waterway, and marine professionals who come to share their knowledge and learn from the experiences of others.

We are honored to be sponsoring, exhibiting, and presenting at the conference. Topics our experts will be covering include Inland Ports, Waterfront Inspections Using Light and Sound, and Inspection, Testing, and Rehabilitation of Waterfront Structures.
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Check out the crew hard at work while having a little fun along the way! 

There are around 111,000 engineers in the United States, and approximately 2,800 commercial divers, of which only some are engineers. That means less than one percent of all engineers are engineer divers. Today, we dive right in with Jeff Lynes, EIT, to learn about his career as a Project Engineer Diver.

Jeff and his wife have lived in Kentucky since 2006 and have four children. Jeff has previous experience in Army Aviation, Aerospace manufacturing, and farming. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geography with a minor in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 1999 and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of North Dakota in 2020. Jeff has been with Marine Solutions since 2019 and added the title of “Commercial Diver” to his resume in 2021.
 
What does an Engineer Diver do? 
“An Engineer Diver conducts underwater inspections of waterfront infrastructure, evaluates and reports conditions of waterfront structures and designs repairs for existing structures or designs plans and specifications for new waterfront structure construction. Various inspections include scheduled inspections to evaluate the condition of structures during their life cycle, emergency inspections following significant events such as storms or physical impacts to structures, and construction related operations such as quality assurance.”

What principles of engineering does an Engineer Diver employ?
“An Engineer Diver is responsible for creating safe, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure by utilizing their knowledge and skills for accurate evaluation and communicating findings and recommendations to the client or owner. An Engineer Diver must be responsive to client needs, anticipate current and future needs, and keep an open mind for developing multiple courses of action whether for inspection, design, or construction.”
 
How do you become an Engineer Diver?
“For the engineering side, the first step is to earn a Bachelor's degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET accredited program. The Bachelor's degree program gives you a foundation of knowledge and understanding that you will apply daily in your work. Next the engineer completes the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination and applies for Engineer in Training (EIT) status through their respective state board. After four years of working directly under a licensed professional engineer (PE), the engineer completes the Professional Engineering Examination and applies for Professional Engineer licensure through the state board.

For the diving side, one must attend an Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) - approved school to become a certified entry-level diver/tender. The certification will allow you to begin diving commercially as both an engineer, and a diver. A note here is that engineer divers usually start commercial diving either before or just after earning their bachelor's degree, although some begin diving later.” 
 
Why would an engineer want to become a diver? 
“If your engineering work is related to structures in the water, becoming a diver enhances your understanding of field conditions so that you can more accurately evaluate field conditions and create better designs. Becoming a commercial diver expands engineering opportunities for career paths and exposes the engineer to a wider variety of work in the field.” 
 
What was the most difficult part of adding Diver to your resume?
“Taking the time for dive school.  I have a wife and children so being apart from them during the months of dive school was difficult.” 

What kind of job opportunities are available to Engineer Divers? Is there a high demand for them? 
“Most underwater structure inspections are led by an engineer diver.  Inland, there are typically bridges, culverts, dams, barge mooring cells, and docks to inspect.  In coastal areas and offshore there are also many pipelines and various structures that need inspection.  Engineer diving is a niche job market and is usually handled by firms engaged in marine engineering.”
 
What qualities should an Engineer Diver possess?
“An engineer diver should be motivated to do quality work, be physically fit, be willing to work in a variety of environments, take care of the people they work with, able to listen to others' ideas, and communicate their own ideas well.” 

What is your favorite part about your career?
“Having a mixture of design work and diving work is great.  I personally love being outside, and inspection diving is very satisfying, even in challenging conditions.” 

What is your least favorite part about your job?
“The volume of report writing is my least favorite part.  Every inspection requires a report, with many details to be accurately included along with recommendations.  However, the report writing is a very necessary part of any engineering work.” 

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to become an Engineer Diver?
“Make a plan and start executing it as soon as you can.  Even if it's only one small step now, taking action brings you one step closer to your goal.  You can do it!”