U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs

July 22, 2009

Contact: Anthony Turner
(310) 488-0723
anthony.j.turner@uscg.mil
http://www.news.auxpa.org/

NEWS RELEASE

Washington State resident named Coast Guard Auxiliarist of the Year

WASHINGTON, DC - Marilynn R. Leonard of Flotilla 42, located in the Thirteenth Coast Guard District has been named the 2008 Coast Guard Auxiliarist of the Year.

Ms. Leonard joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary in June 2006 and immediately became an active participant, demonstrating tremendous enthusiasm and devotion to duty.  She completed an extremely challenging battery of Auxiliary qualifications including Vessel Examiner, RBS Program Visitor, Instructor and two Public Affairs schools in her first year as an Auxiliarist.  Moreover, in the short time since her enrollment, Ms Leonard has dedicated over 5,400 hours of service across many Auxiliary mission areas.

Ms. Leonard has provided extensive direct support of Coast Guard operations, strategic planning, and Maritime Domain Awareness programs.  She has worked on a wide variety of area photo mapping projects used by many federal and state agencies, and she has been an integral part of leadership councils for both the Thirteenth District and Air Station Port Angeles.  Ms Leonard now focuses much of her volunteer activity as the Assistant Public Affairs Officer for Air Station Port Angeles, providing full time public affairs support for the unit.  She also serves as manager of the Citizens Action Network team for the Straits of Juan de Fuca, a unique organization that provides the Coast Guard with invaluable maritime domain awareness by closely monitoring regional coasts and waterways.

Displaying outstanding initiative combined with remarkable commitment to recruitment and diversity, Ms. Leonard spearheaded establishment of an auxiliary Flotilla detachment in Forks, Wa.  As Detachment Leader, she created a comprehensive unit training program and personally recruited seven new members, including key regional Native American tribal leaders.

Ms. Leonard will be recognized during ceremonies at the Coast Guard Auxiliary National Conference in Chicago on August 29, 2009.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard created by an Act of Congress in 1939. The Auxiliary, America’s Volunteer Guardians, supports the Coast Guard in nearly all of the service's missions.

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