News, Events & More
Death of a classmate – Mark Takai ’89 (non-grad)
Posted: 7/14/2017
We just picked up on this news about a year late:
Mark Takai, Hawaii Democrat serving first term in Congress, dies at 49
By Emily Langer
July 20, 2016
The Washington Post
U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, a Hawaii Democrat who was a longtime member of his state’s legislature and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and who was serving his first term in the House of Representatives, died July 20 at his home in Honolulu. He was 49.
The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his chief of staff, Rod Tanonaka. Rep. Takai’s illness was diagnosed in October, and he announced in May, after learning the cancer had spread, that he would not seek reelection in 2016.
Rep. Takai served in the Hawaii state house for 20 years before his election in 2014 to Congress, where he represented a district that included Honolulu and the surrounding area. The seat had been vacated by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who that year unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Rep. Takai won with 52 percent of the vote to the 48 percent garnered by Republican Charles Djou, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who served briefly in Congress after a special election in 2010. During the campaign, the candidates debated the role of the United States in the conflicts in Syria and elsewhere.
“The war in the Middle East from my perspective is really not our war,” said Rep. Takai, who served in the Hawaii Army National Guard and was deployed as a medical officer in the region in 2009. “This is centuries in the making; these conflicts began when time began.”
In the House, Rep. Takai served on the Armed Services and Small Business committees. Among his legislative efforts, according to the Almanac of American Politics, was a bill to help Filipino veterans of World War II reunite with their families.
Kyle Mark Takai was born in Honolulu on July 1, 1967. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1990 and a master of public health degree three years later, both from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he was a champion swimmer.
Rep. Takai ran an insurance brokerage and consultancy. He was elected in 1994 to the state house, where he rose to vice speaker, and had been a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard since 1999.
Survivors include his wife, the former Sami Kai of Honolulu; two children, Matthew Takai and Kaila Takai, also of Honolulu; his parents, Erik Takai and Naomi Takai, both of Waipahu, Hawaii; a brother; and two sisters.
In the News: President Trump nominates Paul Dabbar ’89 for DOE science undersecretary
Congratulations, Paul!
President Donald Trump has nominated Paul Dabbar ’89, an investment banker with J.P. Morgan Chase in New York City, to be the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) undersecretary for science.
If confirmed by the Senate, Dabbar would succeed Franklin “Lynn” Orr in the post. Orr left the post this past January.
According to a White House statement released today, “Dabbar is Managing Director for Mergers & Acquisitions for J.P. Morgan, and has over $400 billion in investment experience across all energy sectors including solar, wind, geothermal, distributed-generation, utility, LNG, pipeline, oil & gas, trading, energy technology, and has also led the majority of all nuclear transactions.”
Read the rest at the Science News
Mids Cyber Competition Victory!
Posted: 4/19/2017
CDX Trophy
Classmates:
Hope all are having a good Spring.
As you all know, our class project (where our fundraising is going well) in part funds the Cyber competitions for the mids to allow them gain a broader experience to Cyber outside the walls of the Yard
This last week, the mids competed in the NSA Cyber Defense Exercise, for students from the US service academies and from the Canadian Military College
Once again, under the strong leadership of our classmate Paul Tortora, our team won the competition!
Learn more at the following links.
https://www.nsa.gov/news-features/news-stories/2017/2017-cdx-summary.shtml
Paul Dabbar ’89, Class Gift Chairman
25th Company Dining Out
Posted: 4/9/2017
The registration for the 25th Company Dining Out is finally live! Well, sort-of. You have to wait for Monday, April 10th when it officially opens, but here are the details for the 25th Company Dining Out:
Price: $55 per person
Register: Call MWF during working hours (I’m guessing 0900-1600, M-F) at (410) 293-8497.
No change to the date, time or location:
Date/Time: April 21st, 1800-2200
Where: DoubleTree Hotel in Annapolis (where the Holiday Inn used to be).
Beat Army!
Ingar
Class Vote to Authorize 30th Reunion Funds
Posted: 3/28/2017
UPDATE (4/18/17): Thanks for voting! The measure passed 251-0 to authorize the spending of class funds for the 30th reunion as directed by the Class Officers, including those amounts over $1,000.
30th Reunion planning has officially kicked off! We have a newly formed reunion committee with Chris Owens as the acting chair. The committee will communicate tentative reunion plans in the next few months so you can “save the date.”
In accordance with our class bylaws, we need class authorization to spend monies in excess of $1,000. We need this authorization to pay deposits and pay our vendors. The vote details are below (and at the voting site); cast your VOTE HERE.
The vote closes at midnight PDT on April 11th.
VOTE:
This is a vote to authorize USNA 89 class funds to be spent for the Class of 1989 30th reunion as directed by the Class Officers, including those amounts over $1,000.
The reunion committee will present a budget to the Class Officers for approval prior to obligating any class funds. Once approved, the reunion committee will be authorized to make day to day decisions within the constraints of the latest approved budget.
Prior to the reunion, current class funds may be obligated for items to include, but not limited to: deposits, caterers, venue sites, SWAG, memorial services, photographers, DJ’s etc. These funds will come from the current balance but will eventually be paid back with reunion registration fees.
The goal is for the reunion to be financed entirely from event registration fees. It is not our intention to raise additional funds to be retained by the class fund. This approach should keep event costs as low as possible, however there is a slight risk that current class funds may be required to cover shortfalls caused by significantly lower than planned attendance. This risk is largely mitigated by careful budgeting, proactive communication, early registration, and late stage contract modifications. Additionally we have access to up to date historical reunion data provided by the Alumni Association.
All of the major reunion contracts will include a force majeure clause that may be invoked in the event that the reunion is cancelled by some major circumstances beyond our ability to control.
Please cast your vote here: VOTE HERE.
Beat Army!
Ingar Grev
New 89 Flag Officers
Posted: 3/27/2017
The following 89ers have been selected for appointment to Flag:
Capt. Sara A. Joyner, to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Capt. Carl A. Lahti, to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Capt. Douglas G. Perry, to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Capt. Yvette M. Davids, to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Capt. Peter A. Garvin, to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Jay Bitting’s Retirement
Posted: 8/1/2016
Jay Bitting’s retirement. 28JUL16. 27 years of loyal and faithful service. Well Done Jay!
Pictured Below (L to R). Joe Fagan, Carl Ward, Scott Wine, Chris Owens, Craig Washington, Mike McGettigan, Jay Bitting, Jamie Gonsalves, Paul Tortora, Mike Michel, John ‘Woody’ Woodson and Jim Popielec. Not pictured, but present: Scott Pappano, Kevin Shanley
New 89 Flag Officer announcements
Posted: 7/13/2016
Congratulations to our newest Flag Officers
Navy Capt. Paul T. Druggan (USNA 1989) for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Druggan is currently serving as major program manager for AEGIS Integrated Combat Systems, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems, Washington, District of Columbia.
Navy Capt. Charles B. Cooper II for appointment to the rank of Rear Adm. (lower half). Cooper is currently serving as director, Surface Warfare Officer Distribution and Career Management Division (PERS 41), Millington, Tennessee
Navy Capt. Donald D. Gabrielson for appointment to the rear admiral (lower half). Gabrielson is currently serving as executive assistant to commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.
Tom Druggan
Charles Cooper
Don Gabrielson
Class Gift Update – May 2016
Posted: 5/14/2016
By Paul Dabbar ’89, Class Gift Co-Chairman.
Classmates:
Hope all is well
Below are some great updates on the Cyber topics, including some great momentum on the Cyber Competition program we are raising money for in our project
Again, although we have had a great initial success on our Class Project Commitments, we need all your support!
The way to do it online is:
- Click here to log on to usna.com.
- On the right hand side, you’ll see an option for “Make a GIft.”, or move your cursor to “Support the Academy” across the top and select “Make a Gift.”
- Scroll down a little and you’ll see a “Class Year” option and select “1989” if it’s not already there.
- You’ll see our three fundraising buckets, it’s self-explanatory from there!
As always…GO NAVY!
Paul
Cyber Warriors: With the Class of 2016, we will graduate our first Cyber Majors (see picture). All seventeen were present and acknowledged at the White House when the Football Team was presented the Commander in Chief’s Trophy. Highlights of our Cyber program in 2016 were: 1st Place at the annual NYU-Poly national Cyber Policy competition; Atlantic Council Cyber 9/12 Student Challenge – top undergraduate school and 3rd place overall out of 40 teams including graduate and law school; and second out of twenty-nine international teams at the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Competition (The USNA team was the U.S. team and one of only two undergraduate teams (Kings College) to make it to the final 15.)
Cyber Center: The design-build contract for the new Cyber Building has been awarded and design is underway. A Working Group of faculty and staff members has been formed to inform the design decisions for the building. Utility work is anticipated to start in Oct 2016 with a groundbreaking targeted for 21 Oct. Pile driving operations on site is anticipated to start in May 2017. Here are the contractor’s artist renderings of the building.
Posted by Ingar Grev
’89 @ Capstone
Posted: 2/16/2016
Class of ’89 reps participated in a 1/C Midshipman Leadership Capstone event.
(L to R) Jamie Gonsalves, Dave Bernhardt, Craig Washington, Julie Campbell, Chuck Bailey, Dan Smalley, Jay Bitting
Jay – thanks for setting this up. It was very rewarding to interact with these outstanding Midshipmen.
Craig
