1969 LAHS Graduate John Acomb
COMMUNITY News:
KINGS POINT, N.Y. — 1969 Los Alamos High School graduate John Acomb received the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Alumni Association and Foundation (AAF) in September 2023.
This award is presented to USMMA graduates who demonstrate professional achievement, lending honor and prestige to their alma mater. Acomb was honored during a celebratory dinner Sept. 7, 2023, at The Mariner Estate in Great Neck, N.Y.
Acomb has been a pioneer in safety management since graduation, working at sea from Able Bodied Seaman (AB) to Captain on ships as varied as LASH, chemical and oil tankers. His experience sailing as an AB strengthened his lifelong commitment to the safety of all seafarers. After sailing, Acomb has worked as a Port Captain and Fleet Manager, Lead Auditor and Director of Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Quality (HSSEQ) for several maritime companies. He has done security and safety audits on vessels and maritime facilities worldwide and has worked as Lead Auditor and Senior Surveyor for both ABS and DNV. He was recruited by DNV via the Kings Point Log in 1991 to help develop, market, and implement DNV’s Safety and Environmental Protection (SEP) auditing program. SEP was later adopted as the ISM Code by the International Maritime Organization. The ISM Code has radically improved safety at sea.
A primary focus of Acomb has been management error and its contributions to most marine accidents. Acomb published an article on this topic in the Proceedings of the Marine Safety Council in 1994 titled, “Human Error Can Be Controlled.” He was also a member of the Prince William Sound Traffic System Risk Assessment Team in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez grounding. The risk assessment identified multiple concerns which the Prince William Sound Steering Committee addressed to preclude future groundings.
Acomb was also an Adjunct Professor at California Maritime for three years and has been an Expert Witness for both plaintiff and defense cases. He has consistently exhibited the high caliber qualities of Acta Non Verba expected of a USMMA alumnus. Acomb has lived in Norway since 2007 and he and his wife are engaged in local voluntary charities providing services to Ukrainian refuges and Red Cross Norway.
About the USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation (AAF):
The AAF is a 501(c)(3) established for the benefit of the USMMA. The AAF supports the USMMA’s mission of educating and graduating leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine officers and commissioned officers in the armed forces.
