RETIREMENT dinners can be, well, sort of on the boring side. They usually consist of the obligatory goodbyes and reminiscences, and that's all well and good for a career well done.
I brought this preconceived notion along with me to a retirement fête in San Pedro, CA. in late March for the retiring executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, Capt. Manny Aschemeyer.
As it turned out, I was not bored. Quite the opposite. The affair ranged from the entertaining — dead-on, hilarious roasts that had the Manny faithful in stitches — to the impressive, with salutes that included the Commandant of the US Coast Guard and the Maritime Administrator. The evening showed how beloved Capt. Manny is, where all could have some good laughs with their favorite San Pedro Harbor personality, and how respected he is, with the Crown Plaza packed with hundreds representing the best of the Southern California shipping industry and beyond.
Maritime Executive – with 50 + years of successful experience in progressively responsible positions.
The Captain is not really going far — just to his ranch in the San Diego area — and will be consulting with the MAREX. Moreover, there is the soon-to-be unveiled, next step in the evolution of the famed “MannyGram” Emails in the form of a MannyBlog coming soon to a Web site near you.
Ports have been part of Manny Aschemeyer's life since his boyhood, when he toured ships in Baltimore with his German father, who left to join relatives in the US after the First World War.
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Capt. Manny shares a laugh with USCG Commandant, Thad Allen.
