On March 27, 2025, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) welcomed over 300 guests to its annual Maritime Bell Luncheon at the Hilton Americas-Houston. This signature event honors the maritime community of Houston and the broader Gulf Coast region, celebrating leadership and service across the industry. This year, SCI proudly presented two distinguished awards: • John […]
Read MoreThe Center for Maritime Education (CME) in Paducah recently hosted representatives from the Alexander-Cairo Port District and the engineering firm BFW/Marcum to conduct feasibility studies for a proposed port terminal on the western side of Cairo, IL, along the Mississippi River. Approved for construction in 2020, this state-of-the-art, multi-modal terminal will better facilitate the transport […]
Read MoreThe Center for Maritime Education (CME) is pleased to welcome Tommy Galvan to the Paducah team as a Simulator Operator/Instructor Trainee. A native of Houston, Texas, and now a Paducah resident, Tommy brings some maritime experience to his new role. He previously served as a mate-pilot at Tennessee Valley Towing and is working on getting […]
Read MoreThis past semester, I had the pleasure of mentoring Valdemar (Val) Tamez Jr., a high school senior and Eagle Scout I’ve known since his childhood through our Boy Scout troop. Val’s father and I served as Assistant Scoutmasters, and I’ve had the privilege of watching him develop into a determined and capable young man. When […]
Read MoreIn August 2024, the Center for Maritime Education welcomed the Sabine Pilots Organization, Pilot Boat Operators, from Port Arthur, Texas. At CME, they engaged in an Advanced Radar course designed to update their radar proficiency through simulator exercises and classroom instruction. The course covered critical areas such as radar interpretation, collision avoidance, speed and course […]
Read MoreSeamen’s Church Institute Promotes Kelly Butts to Assistant Director of CME Paducah The Seamen’s Church Institute is pleased to announce the promotion of Kelly Butts to Assistant Director of the Center for Maritime Education in Paducah. Originally from Columbus, GA, Kelly has been a vital member of the SCI team since November 1997, contributing over […]
Read MoreIn August 2024, CME made significant strides in its mission to enhance training for maritime professionals. CME Director Stephen Polk met with Tim Studdert, President of Buffalo Marine, to explore ways to further improve their crew training program. Tim shared a valuable insight: customizing barge models to reflect Buffalo Marine’s specific needs would significantly improve […]
Read MoreEstablished in 2009, Texas International Terminals (TXIT) is a multimodal facility for deep draft vessels, trains, trucks, and barges on the Galveston Ship Channel. Located near Pelican Island, it offers liquid transloading, dry bulk handling, and storage services. TXIT accommodates various classes of ships and ocean-going barges, with new docks set to handle Suezmax ships. […]
Read MoreIn early July, four pilots from Buckeye Bahamas terminal and four tug masters from Kotug Seabulk Maritime participated in a comprehensive combined pilot and tug master training at SCI’s Center for Maritime Education in Houston, Texas. During the session, the pilots operated various classes of tankers, from Handymax to VLCC, while the tug masters assisted […]
Read MoreAs part of SCI’s mission focus, the Center for Maritime Education is dedicated to training mariners and optimizing mariner safety. SCI is pleased to report that CME experienced noteworthy growth in mariner training between 2022 and 2023. While the adoption of the cutting-edge K-Sim operating system posed initial challenges early in 2023, causing a slight impact […]
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