WORKING ADVISORY COUNCIL AS OF 5/1/05

Joseph Amadeo: Seabee Chief Amadeo formerly headed up Navy Recruiting efforts in the South County area of Rhode Island. He will help ensure our application to the Navy for custody of Saratoga reflects a strong working relationship with the recruiting command.

CAPT Sidney Brody, MC, USN (Ret) served as Sara's first medical officer, and later became the first commanding officer of the US Naval Hospital, Quonset Point.

Joseph A. Cirillo is the former Rhode Island State Building Commissioner. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he previously worked for the Navy Facilities Command and served as Chief Engineer, First Naval District in Boston.

Jack Cronin is the former president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council.

Robert E. Ellis is Executive Director of one of Michigan's major tourist attractions, the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum.

John C. Fredriksen is an award-winning author of several reference books on military history who will lend his considerable academic expertise to the museum effort. He holds degrees from UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Rhode Island, and Providence College. He is an acknowledged authority on War of 1812 manuscripts and other primary resources.

CDR Russell G. Gilmore USN (Ret) flew 21 different operational Naval aircraft and landed on 16 different carriers (including Saratoga) during his career. Designated a Naval Aviator in 1944, he flew F8F Bearcats with VF-19, and also served aboard USS Wasp and USS Lake Champlain. He transitioned to jets and commanded TAC Squadron 12 during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Navy CDR Gilmore taught at URI for 16 years. Commander Gilmore passed away on March 22, 2000.

Russell Hahn is Vice President and branch manager of Washington Trust Company in North Kingstown. He is also a licensed pilot

Hon. Suzanne Henseler recently stepped down after five terms in the RI General Assembly, where she served as House Majority Whip. A teacher by profession, Sue is featured in Who's Who American Women and Who's Who in American Politics. She is now a member of the North Kingstown Town Council

CAPT William Kennedy, USN (Ret) was Saratoga's last commanding officer. He is one of the very few postwar naval officers to command more than one carrier, having also served as CO of USS Lexington. He flew S-2s out of Quonset Point, and also commanded VS-24. Captain Kennedy currently serves as Executive Director of the USO in Jacksonville.

CAPT John E. LaCouture, USN (Ret) served on the first carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) as an Ensign in 1940-41. He was stationed aboard the destroyer Blue at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He commanded the second USS Saratoga (CV-60) 1963/1964.

CDR Gregg Lloyd, USN (Ret) is a former naval aviator who served as Operations Officer aboard USS Saratoga during the 1992 deployment. Lloyd also served as Director of Ship Development for the Saratoga Museum project in Jacksonville after his retirement.

Joseph Lombardi is a marine surveyor and consultant who runs Ocean Technical Services in Manchester, MA. He has worked with many ship museum projects from the application stage (cruiser DesMoines) to major overhaul (battleship Massachusetts). He is considered an expert on structural surveys, drydock surveys and towing plans.

CDR Bob MacDougall, USN (Ret), an engineering officer and instructor, served as Site Manager for Global Associates, the civilian contractor hired to maintain the Saratoga, Forrestal and Iowa at their Navy berths in Middletown. Bob is a Naval Academy graduate who also holds a masters Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. Until recently he served as Republican City Chairman in Newport. He now heads up a new charter school project in New Bedford, MA.

Don Marcum, former Marine, is volunteer curator of the military collection at the historic Varnum Armory in East Greenwich. Don has developed invaluable knowledge and skills in exhibitry and collections management. He is a retired insurance executive.

CAPT James T. Matheny, USN (Ret) currently serves as Senior VP-Operations of Atlas Air Inc. He commanded USS Saratoga (CV-60) from March, 1988 to April 1990.

Christopher Morra is President of National Security & Alarm Systems, based in East Providence, RI. He will oversee the installation of all fire protection, security and anti-intrusion alarm sytems.

Vladislav Murnikov, a graduate of the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, is a marine consultant, Cold War advisor and boat designer. He was chief designer/project manager for Fazisi, first-ever Soviet entry in the grueling Whitbread Round-the-World sailing race.

Irving Owens is Rhode Island's State Fire Marshal. In that capacity he will be intimately involved with supervising the safety aspects of Saratoga's transformation to a museum. He will also act as liaison with fire fighting organizations to ensure broad participation in the firefighter memorial, part of the Public Service Recognition aspect of the Historic Park.

Carl Passarelli was a planner for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation until his retirement. He also retired from the Naval Reserve in 1997, capping a career in the Naval Construction units known as the Seabees. He served in the 21st Regiment for 22 years, and as Facilities Maintenance Chief was responsible for closing down the Davisville Seabee operation.

Robert Powell is a member of the Board of Directors of the USS Saratoga Reunion Association. A former parachute rigger, he served with VA-35 from 1959 to 1963. He owns and operates a mobile home supply business and a model train store in Jacksonville.

Douglas Somers is a licensed 100-ton Captain, the owner-operator of Brandaris, an historic charter vessel operating out of Wickford. This 60-year-old Dutch coastal sailing vessel, a veteran of the evacuation of Dunkirk, is the recipient of a Congressional waiver, enabling her to be one of the few foreign built vessels certified by the Coast Guard to carry passengers. Doug is a 22-year veteran of the marine trades industry, and is a member of the Newport Yacht Charter Association.

Geoffrey Staley is immediate Past President of the western-New York based National Warplane Museum. He was a key member of the Wings of Eagles Air Show Committee, recognized as the largest and most successful pure Warbird show in the USNa show which consistently grosses between $600,000 and $800,000 in one weekend. As a museum director, he helped guide the museum's relocation and new facility construction, a process which was successfully completed this summer.

Edward J. "Knobby" Walsh is a retired Master Chief Boatswains Mate, who was "Chief of the Boat" in USS Saratoga in the late 1950s. Knobby joined the Navy in October 1941 and served for 23 years before retiring. Along the way, he was the personal driver for Admiral Chester Nimitz. Walsh serves on this council as a representative of the Navy League.

Chief James L. Wynne retired from the North Kingstown Police Department after 32 years on the force. He is second generation Navy, raised at Quonset. He served as a radarman on a destroyer, and later worked for Electric Boat in Groton. He also apprenticed as an aircraft engine mechanic.

Hon. Myrth York, former RI state senator and gubernatorial candidate, is also a successful attorney and investor.

Last Updated:
9/11/05