Chicago Propeller Club Wins Club Of Year Honors
The Chicago Propeller Club recently announced it has been named the International Propeller Club of the Year.
To celebrate, guests from across the Great Lakes and Midwest maritime communities gathered October 30 for a Chicago River cruise aboard the Wendella Cruises vessel the Iris.
The club received the award at the International Propeller Club Convention in Tampa, Fla., just a year after restarting. The club had been inactive for the 15 preceding years.
“We have been fortunate to have grown and gotten to the place we have due to our board and the people who have donated their time and talent,” said Chris Carr, club president and managing partner of SBSB Eastham law firm. “I am extremely grateful for that, and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for sponsorships and the engagement. The thing we saw tonight is that there are certain issues that face the industry, and the more we know about those challenges, the better we can help one another. As our board member Chad Cailteux said this evening, only 17 percent of intercity freight is carried on our waterways. The more we talk, meet and network, the better our industry becomes known and used. It’s been an amazing year.”
Club Vice President Ben Pinnington thanked members and supporters for backing organizers’ vision to “bring back meaningful maritime networking to Chicago, driving economic activity, creating jobs and opportunities.”
As part of the cruise, the club also paid tribute to the late Aaron Bensinger, vice president of Central Marine Logistics, who died October 1 at the age of 48. Capt. Tim Wiator, president of Central Marine Logistics, spoke about his 20 years of working with Bensinger.
Other speakers included Chad Cailteux, owner of 5R enterprises, Lisa Waller of BDG Freight Forwarders and Father Mike Enright of Stella Maris Chicago. The event welcomed new sponsors Cassiday Shade law firm and steel manufacturer JD Fields.
The Chicago Propeller Club’s board has grown. Besides Carr and Pinnington, board members are Ian Hirt, Benchmark Marine and Ports of Indiana; Erik Varela, executive director of Illinois International Ports District; Cailteux; Jason Brown, operations manager of Lakes & Rivers Contracting; Tara Pappalardo of RLI insurers; and Warren Marwedel of MMR law firm.
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Featured Photo caption: The Chicago Propeller Club announced it recently was named the International Propeller Club of the Year. Members celebrated with a networking cruise October 30 on the Chicago River. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Propeller Club)
