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In what made the cutting room floor from Episode 3, CAPT(Ret.) Pruitt discusses some factors that can truly distinguish your record/performance from your peers, the differences between commanding a major cutter vs. a patrol boat and the unfortunate time he had to temporarily relieve the skipper of another cutter. Below are some minor show note corrections from our discussion:
5:12 - CAPT(Ret.) Beverly Kelley was commissioned in 1976, not 1980.
46:24 - the individual referenced in the conversation was Rudy Giuliani, not Robert DeNiro.
What a great discussion with CAPT (Ret.) Pruitt, he didn't pull any punches. Ever wondered what the TRUE keys to successful afloat leadership are? All Coasties (Cuttermen and non-Cuttermen) could gain something from this episode. Leadership 101!
CAPT (Ret.) John W. Pruitt, III, retried from active duty after 23 years of distinguished service in the Coast Guard. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Upon commissioning, he served as a Deck Watch Officer aboard USCGC MUNRO (WHEC-724) home ported in Alameda, CA. He subsequently served as Officer-in-Charge LEDET (Law Enforcement Detachment) 5D, TACLET (Tactical Law Enforcement Team) North in Baltimore, MD, where he deployed onboard US Navy and Allied warships throughout the Caribbean and to the Persian Gulf, leading boarding teams enforcing counter-drug laws and the UN embargo of Iraq. Upon departing TACLET he commenced a tour of duty as Deputy, Systems Training Branch at C2CEN (Command and Control Communications Center), Portsmouth, VA. Upon his departure, he assumed duties as the Operations Officer aboard USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719) home ported in Alameda, CA. While assigned to BOUTWELL he deployed to Iraq for both Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom in 2003. Remaining in California, he assumed command of USCGC EDISTO (WPB-1313), San Diego, CA where he was responsible for patrolling the Southern Coast of California and Central America in support of the Coast Guard’s Counter-Drug, Migrant Interdiction, and Search and Rescue missions. Upon departure from EDISTO, he was assigned to the Office of Strategic Analysis (the Coast Guard’s “Think Tank”), at Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC where he worked to identify and analyze significant emerging geopolitical, economic, and environmental issues and trends, seeking to understand their potential strategic impact on the U.S. Coast Guard. Also while in DC, he served as Social Aide to The President of the United States under Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama. Upon departing DC, he again returned to California to serve as the Executive Officer aboard USCGC BOUTWELL (WHEC-719) in Alameda, CA. In July of 2011 he assumed duties as the Commanding Officer of USCGC DAUNTLESS (WMEC-624), where he was the “Guardian of the Gulf.” In June 2013, he departed DAUNTLESS for his final tour as the Director of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Motion Picture and Television Office (MOPIC) in Los Angeles, CA. MOPIC’s mission is to enhance public awareness and understanding of the U. S. Coast Guard, its people, and its missions through a cooperative effort with the entertainment industry. Due to service needs, he assumed duties as Commanding Officer of USCGC STEADFAST (WMEC-623) from March – August 2015, and returned to MOPIC in August of 2015.
Attending Old Dominion University, he was awarded a Masters of Engineering Management. He is also licensed as a Master of Vessels up to 100 Tons in the Merchant Marine.
CAPT (Ret.) Pruitt’s military awards include the Maritime Service Medal, Four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, U. S. Coast Guard and U. S. Navy Achievement Medals, Three Iraq Campaign Medals, Permanent Cutterman designation, Tactical Law Enforcement designation, and several other personal and service awards. CAPT (RET.) Pruitt is also the recipient of the NAACP Roy G. Wilkins renowned service award and the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Modern Day Technology Leader award.
He currently works in the entertainment industry as a producer and a military consultant on projects including scripted and reality TV, documentaries, video games, and cinema for companies including 20th Century Fox, Film Nation, Original Productions, Playtone, and Ubisoft among many others. Additionally, he is a Senior Shiphandling Instructor for the US Navy in Yokosuka, Japan.
Here is a snippet of CAPT (Ret.) Pruitt's thoughts on assuming Command and leading crews in a COVID-19 operating environment. You can read more about his background here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwpruitt/
Don't forget to tune in for the full episode on June 1st!
This is what made the cutting room floor of Episode 2. Tune in to hear CAPT (Ret.) Downey's thoughts on the key ingredients and characteristics that make those special leaders, TRULY special.
Charlene Downey is the owner of SeeWorthy Coaching & Consulting, LLC where she serves as a Leadership & Life Coach partnering with individuals and teams to inspire inner strength, learning, and growth experiences designed to maximize potential and achieve positive, sustainable results. She also frequently speaks on Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion at various events and workshops.
Charlene retired from U.S. Coast Guard in June 2018 after serving over 26 years on active duty, reaching the rank of Captain. Her final assignment was Sector Commander and Captain of the Port for Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach where she coordinated maritime operations in an area of responsibility stretching more than 350 miles along the southern California coast, out to 200 miles offshore, including the nation’s largest and most economically vital port complex. She facilitated the daily flow of over $2 billion in cargo in the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Hueneme.
Charlene served in a variety of operational and staff assignments in Virginia, Connecticut, Washington DC, North Carolina, and California. During her career she had Command of three operational units and was one of the first women to Command a Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team where she and her Team completed a 7-month deployment to Joint Task Force, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and responded to the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010. In 2015-2016, Charlene served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Refugio Oil Spill, the largest oil spill in Santa Barbara County in 25 years. She directed the response of over 1,300 personnel to oversee the clean-up of 25,000 gallons of heavy crude oil along the coastline in a highly environmentally and politically sensitive area.
Her staff tours include Instructor, Officer Candidate School and two tours in Officer Personnel Management. She also served as a Military Executive Fellow at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA.
Charlene is originally from Fort Wingate, New Mexico. She is a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy Preparatory School, Newport, RI and graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT in 1993 with a B.S. in Management. She received her M.S. in Management (HRM) from Florida Institute of Technology and earned her Human Resources Certificate from George Mason University. Her numerous personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and USCG Captain Stratton Inspirational Leadership Award.
She is currently the Chair of the Los Angeles Mayor’s Military Veterans Advisory Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association and is an active member of Team Rubicon (Veterans Disaster Response Organization). She is an avid runner and has completed over 25 marathons.
Charlene resides in Huntington Beach, CA and is married to Anna Cruz, a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and senior manager at Johnson & Johnson Company.
Please come back to listen to the full episode on May 1st! You don't want to miss our entire conversation.
Check out what made the cutting room floor from Episode 1!
Additional insight on why VADM Neffenger chose the Coast Guard over other options, his thoughts on the Coast Guard being viewed as a "meritocracy", Diversity & Inclusion, and how military executive experience translates into civilian executive experience.
Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger was appointed in 2015 by President Obama to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a position he held until January 2017. Prior to this he enjoyed a distinguished 34-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served as the 29th Vice Commandant, the head of Coast Guard global operations, and most notably as the Deputy National Incident Commander for the 2010 BP Gulf oil spill, the largest and most complex in U.S. history. He is a recognized expert in national security, in complex adaptive leadership, and in crisis leadership and management. His transformation of the TSA led to his being named one of the 25 most influential business travel executives of 2016 by Business Travel News.
He is President of Neffenger Consulting, LLC, an independent consulting firm; is Chairman of the U.S. Board of Directors for Smartmatic Corporation, the world’s largest election security technology company; serves on numerous advisory boards; is a member of the Baldwin Wallace University Board of Trustees; holds an MPA from Harvard University; an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College; an MA in Business Management from Central Michigan University, and a BA from Baldwin Wallace University. He is a twotime recipient of the Department of Homeland Security’s Distinguished Service Medal and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Northeastern University’s Global Resilience Institute, and a Distinguished Fellow and Instructor in Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, a joint venture of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kennedy School.
It's finally here! Episode 1 posts on 1 April 2020, with bonus audio on 15 April 2020.
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