Greetings,
This post is for all members and nonmembers who attended our reception, conference, and banquet last week. First of all, on behalf of myself and our “Chief of Staff”, Lenore, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous help and support. From all accounts, the reception, conference, and banquet were great successes. Our silent auction alone brought in over $14k, which was far more than we anticipated! We received many compliments about our food, guest speakers, program, and staff.
18 months of hard work paid off. I was pleased with the attendance, the enthusiasm, and the overall “vibe”, which was phenomenal. I mentioned at the conference that there were many helping hands that went into making the conference a success. Here are a few:
From a financial standpoint, we need to once again acknowledge the corporate and individual sponsors who offered contributions, both monetary and in-kind. Sedwick & Associates, LLC (Daniel Sedwick, Member #2, Augi Garcia, Member #3), Vision Development & Construction (Rob Barfield, Member #161), Allen Exploration (Carl Allen, Member #243), West Bay Trading Company (Steve Hodges, Member #4), Finest Known (Adam Crum, Member #194), Premier Rare Coins (Jeffrey Behan, Member #259), and RARCOA (Russell Augustin, Member #200) made generous monetary contributions. Indian River State College provided in-kind contributions, as did Mr. Richard Beleson (Member #51), Mr. Adam Crum (Finest Known, Member #194), and Mr. Steve Hodges (West Bay Trading Company, Member #4).
Also, no conference would be complete without excellent speakers. We were fortunate enough to have a contingent of knowledgeable, articulate, and compelling speakers whose knowledge of their subject(s) provided all attendees with new and valuable educational material. The time, energy, and effort they devoted to their topics were apparent, and we, the recipients of their efforts, are deeply appreciative. Our mission is education, and our speakers certainly supported this mission.
Next, we would like to recognize those who volunteered their valuable time and resources to handle local issues that needed to be dealt with over the 18 months leading up to the conference. Our Regional Director (of the Treasure Coast), Jim Wilson (Member #171), spent countless hours handling technical issues that required personal attention. He drove many miles up and down the Treasure Coast from here to there, picking up items that needed to be retrieved for use at our conference. Our Special Consultant and Advisory Board member (of Fundraising & Projects), Richard Mellin (Member #230), was instrumental in arranging the venue (the Richardson Center) at Indian River State College. He also provided much-needed help in working out venue details, such as seating arrangements, security, and catering. Anything dealing with the college went directly through Richard Mellin. Paul Winnick, Events Director, Indian River State College, spent three days making himself available to handle any technical issues that arose while we were using the facility. Don Bergmann, Chief of Campus Safety, Indian River State College, provided security to ensure that any potential threats were handled swiftly and addressed with the safety of the attendees in mind. Sgt. Hines, in charge of the security detail, was very attentive and made sure that all of our immediate needs were met. Special thanks also go to Dr. Timothy Moore, President, Indian River State College, who enthusiastically supported the event. He was available to offer as much help and support as needed.
Special mention is given to Sal Guttuso (Member #226), Director of Operations, 1715 Fleet — Queens Jewels, LLC, and Mike Perna (Member #217), Captain of the Mighty Mo, recovery vessel, who provided specialized assistance and the opportunity for our members to view recently recovered treasure that made national news.
Finally, I would like to recognize our “Chief of Staff”, Lenore Wetzel (Member #188), and her daughter, Lydia Cleary, who were the friendly faces that welcomed attendees to the conference every day. Specifically, Lenore has been working on this project for 18 months, and without her help, the conference would not nearly have been as successful as it was. Her daughter, Lydia, a submariner serving in the U.S. Navy, took leave to fly home to help her mother. The mother-daughter duo helped carry the day.
Before concluding, I also want to mention our vendors, Wild Thyme Catering, who catered our Meet & Greet/Reception on Sunday, January 11. The 3-day conference was catered by Kate Pokorny and her colleague, Sandra (Catering by Kate and Sandra), who turned our continental breakfast into a gourmet event.
Thank you to everyone for your help and support. Our next conference is scheduled for January 2028, and in a few months, we will begin making arrangements for another successful conference.
Thank you all,
Ben Costello
President, 1715 Fleet Society
