Influential Figures Awarded at River Bell Luncheon
Paducah, KY. December 15, 2009. The final Special Event during the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) 175th Anniversary Year honored two influential figures in the inland river industry. C. Ronald “Ronnie” James received the 2009 River Bell Award, and Howard Brent accepted the 2009 River Legend Award at the River Bell Awards Luncheon in Paducah, KY on December 11. A crowded room in The Walker Building boasted 248 industry leaders gathered for a lunchtime fundraising event, which brought in close to $125,000 in support of SCI’s Ministry on the River, the nation’s only pastoral care program dedicated to inland river mariners.
In their prefatory remarks, Paducah Mayor William F. Paxton and Craig E. Philip of Ingram Barge Company characterized the 2009 River Bell Award recipient, Ronnie James, as a “doer.” James’ determination and action took his company, James Marine, Inc., from modest beginnings to becoming a thriving enterprise that employs over 1,000 people. James also possesses an uncommon devotion to the community, according to Paxton and Philip, contributing to growth in the City of Paducah and the river industry.
Steve Golding introduced the 2009 River Legend Award recipient, Howard Brent. Golding compiled several hours of video footage of interviews (some of which he traveled hundreds of miles to record) with colleagues from Brent’s career in the river industry. Golding presented a condensed version of the video to the audience at the luncheon, recounting his memorable career on the river spanning several decades.
“The personal testimonies about Ronnie and Howard,” said Carrie Christensen, SCI’s Special Events Coordinator, “brought to light how much they’ve influenced a lot of people.” She also observed that the recipients’ acceptances speeches expressed a similar gratitude for the influence of caring coworkers and teachers during their formative years.
SCI’s Executive Director, the Rev. David M. Rider, and the luncheon’s chairman, H. Merritt Lane, described the awardees as “leading citizens,” adding that their support and leadership “continues to sustain SCI’s program of maritime education.”
“We are grateful,” said Rider, “for their example … of the enduring alliance of the inland river community to assist and support one another.”
About the River Bell Award
The River Bell Award was established in 2000 by the Seamen’s Church Institute to recognize the contributions of an individual, company, or organization to the inland maritime industry. Proceeds from the luncheon support the organization’s Ministry on the River program.
About the Seamen’s Church Institute
Founded in 1834 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, though nondenominational in terms of its trustees, staff and service to mariners, the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York & New Jersey (SCI) is the largest, most comprehensive mariners’ agency in North America. Annually, its chaplains visit thousands of vessels in the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Port of Oakland, and along 2,200 miles of America’s inland waterways. SCI’s maritime education facilities provide navigational training to nearly 1,600 mariners each year through simulator-based facilities located in Houston, TX and Paducah, KY. The Institute and its maritime attorneys are recognized as leading advocates for merchant mariners by the United States Government, including the US Congress, the US Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labor Organization and maritime trade associations.