Safety First!  
By Wayne Spivak - New York - USA

About the Author

Mr. Spivak joined the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary after spending seven years in the United States Power Squadrons (USPS). A primary catalyst for his joining was the events of September 11th, and the actions of the Coast Guard, the Auxiliary and that of the USPS.

As a member of the USCG Auxiliary, Auxiliarist Spivak, is an Instructor, the Flotilla, Division and the Assistant District Webmaster, a Vessel Safety Examiner and a Marine Dealer Visitor, where he has served as the Flotilla and Division Staff Officer for the Visitor Program.

He is also finishing both the Boat Crew and the Air Observer/Air Crew programs.

On a National level, he is a member of the National Press Corps (a Branch Chief in the Public Affairs Department), as well as a staff member of the National Training Center. In addition, other duties include being a Staff member of the Web Support Group, Office of the Chief Director of the Auxiliary, G-OCX, United States Coast Guard.

In 2001, Auxiliarist Spivak placed second in the United States Coast Guard JOC Alex Haley Award of Excellence in Journalism contest, for his contributions to the Public Affairs of the Coast Guard. In 2003, from Internet searches, Auxiliarist Spivak's works have been used in over 120 media outlets in excess of 200 times. In addition, over 45,000 articles have been read on the Coast Guard website, in 2003 alone..

In other roles, he serves as the Division Chief, Communications for the International Affairs Directorate, the Webmaster for the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. (CGAuxA, Inc.) and a member of the staff of the Commander Coast Guard D7 Office of the Director (CCGD7oax) and Commander Coast Guard D1 Office of the Director, Southern Region (CCGD1oaxSR).

Mr. Spivak is the recipient of two (2) Auxiliary Commandant Letter Of Commendation for exceptional meritoius service to the Coast Guard, as well as a Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation Award.

He is still a member of USPS (where he was the Chief Information Officer) and is also a member of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons. In addition, he is a consultant with, and the Chief Information Officer for the United Safe Boating Institute and as well as a member of the National Safe Boating Council. Other recreational boating activities include assisting the Association for Rescue at Sea, Inc. (AFRAS) redesign their web site, the Foundation for Coast Guard History, Inc. (FCGH), redesign their newsletter and provides technical assistance to a large number of other Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary programs (both officially and unofficially).

Other memberships include the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, National Safe Boating Council, Inc., Boating Writers International and the US Navy League.

When not volunteering on Recreational Boating issues, Mr. Spivak is an Adjunct Professor at Lehman College, City University of New York where he teaches accounting. He is also the Chief Financial Officer of DNA Model Management, currently one of the top modeling management agencies in New York City.

An accomplished freelance writer, Prof. Spivak has several hundred published articles under his belt, as well as a contribution in WritersNet Anthology, Volume II, an anthology of stories, both fiction and non-fiction published by iUniverse in October 2002. He is currently a Contributing Editor to ServerPipeline.Com, a CMP Media on-line e-zine.

Boating Writers International (BWI) has asked Prof. Spivak to be one of the judges in their prestigious 2003 BWI Writing Contest