Annual Awards Dinner 23 October 2025

2025 Annual Awards Dinner
23 October 2025 - New York Yacht Club

Honoring
Leslie Kohler
American President Lines, LLC
Captain Jonathan Bacon "JB" Smith

divider
Register Now 

Celebrating Exceptional Leadership

The Annual Awards Dinner is open to the public and is the single largest fundraising event promoting the work of the National Maritime Historical Society. Our gala celebrates the work of exceptional leaders in the maritime heritage community, bringing the message of the importance of our seafaring past to the wider world. By joining forces and working on mutual goals, our collective successes multiply, and our reach extends even further. We encourage you to support our mission and join us as we celebrate exceptional leadership.

logo for APL

American President Lines

The Society celebrates American President Lines, LLC, with the 2025 NMHS Distinguished Service Award. For more than 175 years, APL has been a trusted partner to the US government and its military for ocean transportation and in-country logistics.  Their fleet of commercial vessels with military utility are owned and operated by US citizens and provide reliable support that is necessary for national defense. APL played a major role during the Interwar period, World War Two, and Cold War.  APL is a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, a global leader in sea, land, air and logistics solutions. APL’s parent company, CMA CGM North America committed to investing $20 billion in the US with the reflagging of 30 ships to the US shipping registry and potentially building ships in the United States. APL supports environmental protection, education, disaster relief and aid delivery efforts. APL continues to reduce their carbon footprint, cutting Sulphur emissions and protecting ocean biodiversity. Through scholarship sponsorships and partnerships with tertiary education institutions, APL empowers and motivates students to achieve greater heights of excellence. APL also extends internship opportunities that offer aspiring maritime professionals practical experiences. APL engages in numerous community outreach efforts around the world and promotes employee volunteerism through activities that include donation drives, fund raising programs and humanitarian partnerships.

Portrait

Leslie Kohler

Leslie Kohler will be presented with the 2025 NMHS Distinguished Service Award.  In 2012 Ms. Kohler, along with her father Terry Kohler, founded the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan (SEAS), a non-profit organization dedicated to both community boating—developing programming to make boating on Lake Michigan more accessible—as well as building international reach that allows it to bring quality programs, boats, people, and knowledge to the Sheboygan Lakefront. Among the most impressive of these international endeavors is her involvement in adaptive sailing, which allows people with disabilities to sail on their own.  Over the years Kohler and SEAS have facilitated sailing experiences for individuals with conditions as diverse as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy, and seizure disorders.  SEAS has also become a world leader in developing technology for blind and visually impaired sailors to handle boats without a sighted person on board.  SEAS has co-hosted the Blind Match Racing World Sailing Championship and holds Blind Match Racing Clinics around the country to help build the sport. Kohler is an instrumental leader in developing and providing educational programming and access to boating while removing barriers to participation created by financial, physical, or cognitive needs. Her passion for Lake Michigan goes beyond sailing and boating.  She was also a driving force behind the establishment of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021.  The sanctuary protects 36 historic shipwreck sites, including 27 that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and provides stewardship for the maritime heritage of Lake Michigan, bringing new opportunities for research, resource protection, and education.

J Bacon

Captain Jonathan Bacon "JB" Smith

Captain Jonathan Bacon “JB” Smith will be presented with the 2025 NMHS Distinguished Service Award. In his decades at the helm of educational vessels, he has mentored and taught hundreds of students and crew. Captain Smith has sailed the world, serving on a US Navy destroyer, a Spanish squid fishing vessel, multiple cruise ships and yachts. He has sailed on and captained numerous sail training vessels, such as Spirit of Massachusetts, Westward, Harvey Gamage, Unicorn, Bill of Rights, Marie Pierre and more. The nautical knowledge he possesses made him the type of mariner and educator that others aspire to be. He is a bluewater sailing ship master and pre-eminent teacher, instilling a respect for the sea and for the way of a ship for generations of young mariners. His skills as a sailor and teacher and his vast experience on vessels of every shape and size have earned him the trust and respect of all those who sail with him. Capt. Smith possesses a profound understanding, respect, and appreciation for maritime history, literature, and traditions. Those who sail with him benefit from his strong grasp of history, geography, and literature, along with some captivating sea stories. In 2009, the American Sail Training Association (now Tall Ships America) recognized him with the ASTA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thomas A. Whidden will serve as dinner chair. Whidden was recognized with the 2022 NMHS Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the yachting community and his unparalleled leadership in the design and manufacture of technologically advanced sails. He has worked to honor those of excellence in racing, encouraging younger generations to value and participate in the sport.

Richard T. du Moulin, NMHS overseer and award-winning yachtsman, will be the master of ceremonies.  Entertainment will be provided by the US Coast Guard Academy Cadet Chorale, directed by Dr. Daniel McDavitt, DMA.

Video presentations will be produced by award-winning documentarian and NMHS vice chair, Richardo R. Lopes, executive director of Voyage Digital Media; and photographer/editor Alessandro Lopes.

Seating is limited, please contact Wendy Paggiotta for sponsorship and to secure your reservation [email protected] or 914-737-7878 ext 557.

Thomas Whidden formal picture
Thomas Whidden
divider

Sponsorship Opportunities

$50,000 Underwriter

  • Premium table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Full-page advertisement in Sea History magazine
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$25,000 Event Marquee Sponsor

  • Premium table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Full-page advertisement in Sea History magazine
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$15,000 Fleet Sponsor

  • Premium table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Full-page advertisement in Sea History magazine
  • Recognition in the evening’s dinner program
    Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$10,000 Commodore Sponsor

  • Premium table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Full-page advertisement in Sea History magazine
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$7,000 Reception Sponsor

  • Premium table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Full-page advertisement in Sea History magazine
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$5,000 Captain Sponsor

  • Two tickets
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 2 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

 $4,000 Table Host

  • Table for 10 guests
  • Recognition from the podium with audio/visual & signage at the event
  • Recognition in the dinner program
  • Recognition on the Society’s website, press releases, mailings, and email announcements
  • Membership for 10 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$1,000 Individual Sponsor

  • VIP seating for 2 guests
  • Recognition on the Society’s website
  • Membership for 2 in NMHS, including the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) card for free admission to America’s leading maritime museums

$400 Individual Dinner Reservation

  • 1 individual dinner reservation

$500 Advertisement

  • Advertisements will be displayed throughout the reception via a PowerPoint presentation.
divider


We Gratefully Appreciate our Sponsors

Event Marquee Sponsor

Matt Brooks

Commodore Sponsors

Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Co., Inc.
McAllister Towing
North Sails
Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan - SEAS

Reception Sponsors

American President Lines, LLC
CAPT James A. Noone, USN (Ret.) & Alice Noone
Seafarers International Union of North America

Table Hosts

Richard T. du Moulin
The Hat Factory
Alix Thorne

Individual Sponsors

Allen Insurance Financial
RADM Joseph Callo, USN (Ret.) & CAPT Sally McElwreath Callo, USN (Ret.)
Sarah Jeffords
Philip and Irmy Webster

Donors

A.G.A. Correa & Son
Badger Balm
Don Demers

divider

2025 Annual Awards Dinner Committee

Dinner Chair
Thomas A. Whidden

 

Charles B. Anderson ∙ Capt. Jonathan Boulware ∙ Matt Brooks ∙ Walter R. Brown ∙ CAPT Patrick Burns, USN (Ret.) ∙ Samuel F. Byers ∙ RADM Joseph F. Callo, USN (Ret.) ∙ CAPT Sally McElwreath Callo, USN (Ret.) ∙ William Dudley ∙ Richard T. du Moulin ∙ David S. Fowler ∙ Catherine Green ∙ Karen Helmerson ∙ Gary Jobson ∙ Steven P. Kalil ∙ VADM Al Konetzni Jr., USN (Ret.) ∙ K. Denise Rucker Krepp ∙ A. L. Chip Loomis ∙ Richardo R. Lopes ∙ Guy E. C. Maitland ∙ Capt. Jeffrey McAllister ∙ Elizabeth McCarthy ∙ Peter McCracken ∙ Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano ∙ CAPT James A. Noone, USN (Ret.) ∙ Erik K. Olstein ∙ Ronald L. Oswald ∙ Wendy Paggiotta ∙ Richard Scarano ∙ Susan Sirota ∙ Alix Thorne ∙ Philip J. Webster ∙ Dr. David Winker