TOLEDO, Ohio, September 11, 2009 — Paul LaMarre III, Manager of Maritime Affairs for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, will receive the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History 2009 Award for Historic Preservation at a ceremony on Saturday, September 19, 2009 in Bay City, Michigan. This award recognizes LaMarre’s dedication to preserving the S.S. Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship.

This award is given annually to individuals who have made a major contribution to the preservation or interpretation of Great Lakes maritime history. Nominees are evaluated based on their personal contributions to an institution, several institutions, and/or the field of Great Lakes maritime history; and should be recognized for contributions made over a period of five years or more. LaMarre was nominated for this award by Bob O’Donnell, a member of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, for the following reasons:

• LaMarre has helped breath new life in the museum ship S.S. Willis B. Boyer. Built in 1911 as the Col. James M. Schoomaker, the vessel held the title of “Queen of the Lakes” until 1914. It was retired from service in 1980, and opened by the City of Toledo as a floating museum in 1987.
• By the early 2000s, when LaMarre signed on as its executive director and sole employee, the Boyer was in financial difficulty. In 2006, after the City of Toledo announced that it was eliminating its financial support for the museum ship, LaMarre has also helped secure the vessel’s future by finding a champion for the vessel in the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
• LaMarre worked with volunteers and the local maritime community to launch a “Don’t Give Up the Ship” campaign to raise funds and in-kind donations for much needed repairs for the ship. With an outpouring of support from the Toledo Blade, a reorganized non-profit board known as Boyer/Riverfront Inc., and the largest volunteer force in the ship’s history, the S.S. Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship achieved an all-time record in attendance and sponsorship.
• LaMarre continually seeks out partners with the ability to facilitate necessary repairs and will build solid relationships with these partners. One such partner is North Star Bluescope Steel, a local company that arranged for contractors to spend an entire day completing a number of longstanding projects - leaving the Boyer a safer and further restored vessel.

Prior to becoming executive director of the S.S. Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship, LaMarre served as a deck officer on multiple Great Lakes towing vessels. A graduate of the California Maritime Academy, he holds a degree in marine transportation and served in the United States Navy. LaMarre is a member of the International Shipmasters' Association and Great Lakes Historical Society, and serves as a board member of both the Marine Historical Society of Detroit and Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online Inc.

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s business is transportation. That business is shaped by our mission to move people and cargo through the region while employing innovative finance programs to stimulate economic development. For more information, please visit www.toledoportauthority.org.