Charlie Nalen receives Thomas Crowley Trophy

The trophy is a limited edition, bronze sculpture depicting Crowley Maritime’s founder ferrying goods to and from ships on San Francisco Bay in the early 1890s

Petroleum News Alaska

Charlie Nalen, vice president of environmental affairs, safety and quality for Crowley Maritime Corp., was awarded the 1999 Thomas Crowley Trophy at a ceremony held in Seattle late last month.

Crowley Maritime said Nalen is the second and last employee to receive the Trophy — the corporation’s highest honor — for 1999. Tom Farmer, vice president of pricing and yield management for Crowley Liner Services’ Puerto Rico and Caribbean division, was the East Coast recipient of the award in March.

Created over a decade ago, the Thomas Crowley Trophy award honors employees with outstanding performance, whose dedication, leadership, initiative and productivity most clearly reflect those of the company’s founder. The trophy, a limited edition, bronze sculpture depicting young Thomas Crowley as he ferried goods to and from ships on San Francisco Bay in the early 1890s, is a tribute to both the company founder and the present day winners of the award.

Tom Crowley Jr., Crowley Maritime chairman, president and chief executive officer, presented the award at a ceremony, attended by some 60 Crowley employees, including two previous Thomas Crowley Trophy recipients.

“Charlie brings many of the Crowley values to the performance of his job, including spirit, hard work and dedication,” Crowley said. “His contributions to the progress and success of the company have been outstanding, particularly with regard to safety, environmental, and quality programs.”

The company said Nalen is widely credited with helping to implement an environmental management system and for spearheading the fast-tracking ISO and ISM certification processes for Crowley operations and vessels on both coasts and internationally.

“The environmental, safety and quality group is a team, of which I am a coach and contributor,” said Nalen. “This team is made up of very strong players — the best I’ve ever worked with — and I’m pleased to accept this very prestigious award on their behalf.”

Nalen has held a number of related positions during his 20 years with Crowley. He joined the company in 1980 as manager of loss control for Crowley’s California division.

In the years that followed he assumed positions of increasing responsibility in the risk management and loss control areas of the corporation.

In 1990, Nalen was promoted to vice president of risk management and environmental affairs for Crowley’s Pacific division and in 1991 became vice president of environmental affairs for the corporation.

He assumed his present position as vice president environmental affairs, safety and quality for the corporation in 1994.