Phil Goodman named to Top Environmental Post in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, D7

Phil Goodman of Cudjoe Key, a member of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Auxiliary in Key West, was recently appointed Staff Officer responsible for all Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Activities in District 7 (D7).  Headquartered in Miami, D7 encompasses The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and most of Georgia and Florida, including the Florida Keys.  Environmental Protection of our waterways is a rapidly expanding mission of the USCG and Auxiliary.

Goodman’s promotion to this position was made by Commodore Joel Tyson, Commander USCG Auxiliary, D7.   This was prompted by Goodman’s successful development and execution of innovations to help the USCG and other emergency responders in long term preparations to protect the fragile environment in the Keys.  For the past four years Goodman has been in charge of the Auxiliary’s Pollution Prevention and Response efforts in the Keys.  He now plans to expand these innovations to encompass more of D7.

Goodman is a retired chemist with more than forty years experience in the global chemical industry.  He served for thirty days as a volunteer for the USCG and USCG Auxiliary at Deepwater Horizon (DWH). As a result of that experience Goodman realized the need for locally trained pollution response teams and studied to become a USCG Certified Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) instructor.  Since DWH he has organized and taught more than twenty HAZWOPER classes throughout the Keys, certifying more than 800 local residents to assist as volunteers should the Keys experience a major pollution event.   Elsie S. Metcalf, Division 13 Commander, USCG Auxiliary says of Goodman,   ”Many people talk about protecting our environment but Phil is doing something about it.”

Goodman is a regular guest lecturer on environmental issues to local organizations.  He is an active member of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, the Mote Marine Laboratory Advisory Board, the Florida Clean Boating Partnership and a Commissioner on the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board.  The USCG Auxiliary is an all volunteer member of Team Coast Guard that assists the USCG in many of its missions.  There are more than 350 Auxiliarists in Monroe County and more than 30,000 in the USA.  For more information on the USCG Auxiliary, visit www.uscga-district-7.org.