The Faces of SNAME

SNAME's members come from all stages of the lifecycle or value chain of a vessel or other marine asset:

Student - Educator/Researcher - Engineer/Designer - Manufacturer - Shipbuilder - Operator - Recycler/Salvor

SNAME periodically highlights a member who has contributed to the Society and the maritime industry to recognize them as a representative of one of our Faces of SNAME. This recognition acknowledges a valuable SNAME member from one or more stages of the vessel lifecycle, and allows others to learn more about one of their peers. To read about some of our Faces of SNAME click here.

Name: Richard Hiscock

Section: New England

Member since 1982

Richard C. Hiscock has been a fishing vessel safety advocate for over 35-years – authoring the Fisherman’s Digest for the First Coast Guard District, Safety Notes for Fishermen, testifying on fishing vessel safety, and drafting H.R. 1836 to require “licensing, inspection and additional safety requirements for fishing vessels” in 1987. He served on the Fishing Vessel Casualty Task Force in 1999, the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Advisory Committee from 1991 to 1998, and edited the Personal Survival and Emergency Drills Course – A National Standard Curriculum in 1995. He was the first Executive Director of the U.S. Lifesaving Manufactures’ Association, and a charter board member and Vice-President of the Marine Safety Foundation. He is a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. In 1991 he founded ERE Associates Ltd. a marine consulting firm dedicated to vessel safety and served as its president and principal investigator until 2002. From 2007 to 2009 he served as Senior Professional Staff on the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the U.S. House of Representatives where he authored the Fishing Vessel Safety Section of the “Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010”. He also served – briefly – on the staff of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He served as a member of the National Occupations Research Agenda (NORA) Fishing Safety Sector Council of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.  In 2011 he formed a new consulting firm, Off Soundings LLC, and assisted one of the major Classification Societies (DNV-GL) in the development of special class rules for smaller U.S. commercial Fishing Vessels.  He has been the Technical Advisory to the U.S. Marine Safety Association (USMSA) since 2012. Mr. Hiscock lives Vermont.

 

Click here to read an article about how Mr. Hiscock is responsible for many advances in boating safety.

Name: Bruno Dionisi

Section: Italian Section

Location: Genoa, Italy

Member Since 2014

SNAME Involvement: Italian Section Chair

Bruno Dionisi is currently an Independent Consultant and Temporary Manager involved in shipping management, mega yachts new building, forensic and insurance investigations and litigation support.

Until 2011, he served as Managing Director at Vroon Ship Management and Vroon Offshore Italia in Genoa Italy, wholly owned subsidiaries of Vroon, a Dutch Shipping Group, involved in offshore activities.

Previously until 2008, he served as Senior Vice-President (Fleet Manager) at Grand Navi Veloci, an Italian Shipping Company, part of the Grimaldi Group Genoa, offering goods and passenger transportation services in the Mediterranean and involved in development of the maritime motorway lines.

He joined Grimaldi Group in 1977, serving in the fleet management and corporate areas as Ship Superintendent, Senior Vice President (Technology Department Manager ), Claim Department Manager, and Newbuildings Project Leader until 2006.

Dionisi worked on a large number of projects in addition to being Fleet Manager, including building a variety of vessels,(mainly ro-ro and ferries) and jumboisation and conversion of vessels.

He is a graduate of the University of Naples, Italy, with a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and has served in the Italian Navy as  an Engine Officer and as  a Deck Officer on Merchant vessels.

He joined SNAME in 2014 and founded, the same year, SNAME Italia. He is now acting as Section Chair of the Italian section.  Bruno is also taking active roles in various other non- profit organizations, such as The Propeller Club, Atena etc.

Name: John A. Richards


Organization: Galley Design and Sales


Location: Tacoma, WA


Section: Pacific Northwest

Associate Member since 2014

 

John Richards believes that the galley as a system should be designed no differently than systems in other parts of the vessel using latest technology, science, ergonomics and culinary practices to achieve a modern system. He hopes to change the galley made from “placeholders” and bring galley engineering forward with the single aim of feeding and satisfying mariners better, safer, with less labor, energy and hassle.

Richards has made it his personal mission to help bring the design, fabrication and operation of ship’s galleys into the 21st Century. This comes from his deep caring for crews, fleets and the profession, bringing to each galley design, his formative background in architecture, foodservice design and ergonomics:

Richards is a 2004 graduate of a 5 year professional program (Masters Equivalent) in Architecture from the University of Arizona. He lead and worked with teams of 5 to 14 engineers, architects and designers. He also taught 3rd and 4th year design and Environmental Control Systems at the University level.

Having designed galleys and commercial kitchens with hundreds of projects under his belt, Richards has also constructed food facilities and consulted or provided design / build services on new builds, retrofits and system replacements.

John A Richards' keen understanding of ergonomics from his background in stainless steel: work stations, conveyors, food processing equipment, cabinets, dressers, sculleries, serveries and many other assemblies and elements.

 

In addition to these three skill sets, he has firsthand knowledge of foodservice operations, food-safe practices, health and sanitation issues from his work and study of National Sanitation foundation standards, study of Vessel Sanitation Programs and application of classification society requirements to on board food and beverage operations as well as his family currently owning and operating three restaurants.

About a decade ago he moved to the “Great Pacific Northwest” where he has been busy reinvigorating his family’s ties to shipbuilding. He consults with naval architects, designs for fleets and does projects with shipyards around the US and Latin America. His recent projects have been built in the Northwest, Texas, Florida, China and South America.

This has resulted in his developing galley design and engineering experience with many classed vessels including ferries, fishing vessels, longliners, factory trawlers, workboats, OSV’s, PSV’s, offshore rigs, dormitories, military, sea going tugs as well as other commercial and private passenger vessels.

Richards works with hulls of steel, aluminum and fiberglass, but in each case, his vocation is to create flows and functions in a galley system that helps attract and maintain professional crews as well as enhancing vessel mission effectiveness.

He has worked on hundreds if not thousands of food facilities and has a knack for making them easy to build, easy to install, durable and easy to maintain, and in the end, they are labor saving and easy to operate, generating and serving the right quantity and variety of safe foods to be the one true “amenity at sea” for the crew, the vessel, the fleet and the industry.

Currently with for Galley Design and Sales out of Bellevue WA, Richards works with projects that ply all the oceans of the world. He has taught design and recently presented an Innovation Session at the SNAME WMTC in Providence, published papers on water conservation, HVAC condensation systems and local maritime history.

John A Richards was President and Co-Founder of Tacoma Community Boatbuilders, a non-profit engaged in giving youths tied up in the courts, hands-on experience in a fully outfitted shop, building wooden boats. The youth are recommended to TCBB by their parole officers and receive one-to-one mentoring and training by volunteer craftsmen of all ages, who are coordinated by 2 mental health professionals, a professional wooden boatbuilding instructor and all coordinated by an Executive Director.