USCG Risk Mitigation Conference - Put the Fire Out!

In 2012, John Adey became the President of the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), having served in several staff positions since 2002. John has his MBA with a specialty in nonprofit organization management and is an ABYC Certified Master Technician.  John is a member of the USCG Boating Safety Advisory Council, a Red Cross certified lifeguard instructor trainer, US Masters swimmer and an avid Chesapeake Bay boater.  In his spare time he enjoys inventing new swear words while working on he and his daughters 24 year old jeep, Taylor ham egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, dunkin’ donuts coffee and anything cooked on a weber charcoal grill.

Patrick started sailing at a very early age with his parents who designed and built their own 50ft sailing yacht from ferro-cement. He has over 25 years of diverse experience in the marine industry, from professional yacht racing crew, through to design and project management of high-performance carbon fibre sailing multihulls. Patrick currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with his wife and two young boys but has previously lived in Newport, Rhode Island, and in 2004 successfully completed the Yacht Design Program at The Landing School in Kennebunkport, Maine. Much of his current duties with ICOMIA and the ICOMIA Marine Engine Committee focus on the design, safety, and construction aspects of the recreational small craft sector including its impact on the marine environment.

Eric Johnson is an Engineer with the United States Coast Guard in the Product Assurance Branch of the Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety.  In this roll Mr. Johnson evaluate reported safety defects and non-compliances and prepares Coast Guard action response and correspondence.  Additionally he provides guidance on Federal statutes, safety regulations, and Coast Guard policy regarding recreational boat-building.  Mr. Johnson is a member of various Standards bodies including ABYC, NFPA, SAE, ISO, and UL.  In his free time Eric is an avid sailboat racer and Triathlete.

Jeff Ludwig has worked for the Coast Guard since 2006, and currently serves as the Chief of the Recreational Boating Product Assurance Branch in the Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety. He is responsible for implementing the Recreational Boat Testing & Compliance Program (RBTCP), which ensures that recreational boat manufacturers comply with USCG safety standards. Prior to his current position, he was the Boating Safety Division’s Regulatory Development Manager, where he was responsible for the development of all boating safety-related regulations at Coast Guard headquarters. Before working for the Coast Guard, he was the Regulatory Affairs Manager for a major recreational boating trade association for five years.

Mr. Ludwig grew up boating in Florida and holds a USCG Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) license. He served eight years in the United States Army Infantry, stationed in the U.S. and Germany, and earned a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland.

Craig W. Scholten has been actively involved in the recreational craft industry for more than 38 years.  His hands-on knowledge of small craft design, engineering, manufacturing, standards, and product certification provides a great resource of experiences.  Craig holds a Master Compliance Specialist Certification for small craft from Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and a Master Technician Certification from the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC).  He has personally assessed and certified over 500 new boat models for the global marketplace. 

For over three decades Craig has served industry in multiple roles, including Director, Chairperson, Convener, Expert and Member of executive committees, technical committees, and boards of ABYC, National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI), and the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA). 

Skilled in working group leadership and collaboration in both domestic and international committees, Craig demonstrates a thorough understanding of how the standards and certification processes work and have evolved over time. Extensive success in guiding the understanding of standards compliance, product testing, risk assessments, and product certifications in both the domestic and international arenas. Strong networking and leadership skills, detailed, organized, and ability to find the win-win, Craig’s leadership results in effective teams that produce valuable product.

Craig regularly shares his expertise with industry at seminars and professional conferences including ABYC, NMMA, IBEX, and METSTRADE.

Craig can be reached at:

• cscholten@abycinc.org
• (410) 990-4460 x120