TVIB News Industry Press

George Foster selected as the 2024 Inaugural Recipient of the Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award

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In early April, the selection committee met to review the inaugural Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award applications. After deep and thoughtful conversation, George Foster emerged as the standout nominee who exemplified the three core pillars of the award: community service, professional excellence, and mentorship.  Much like the namesake of the award, Mike Rushing, George does what he does quietly in the background never seeking personal recognition. He has a true servant’s heart.

We are excited to present George with the award and a donation to the Seamen’s Church Institute’s Ministry on the River program in his honor on May 31st at this year’s IMX Show in Nashville, TN. We’re very thankful for the support and encouragement of the Waterways Journal.  Please take a moment to read the article, “TVIB To Honor George Foster With Inaugural Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award” published in this week’s issue of the Waterway’s Journal. We believe you will see why George was selected as this year’s recipient of the Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award.

Congratulations George and thank you for your many years of hard work on behalf of the towing vessel industry and for being a leader in your community.

The Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award: Honoring a Life of Service

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In the spring of 2023, the maritime industry said goodbye to a river industry icon with the passing of Mike Rushing. While the fingerprints of Mike’s passion and commitment can be seen throughout the river system what many may not know is how Mike lived a life of quietly serving others without seeking recognition. Mike served far and wide from his local church community, years of leadership with the Boy Scouts and Soap Box Derby, to his mentorship to the men in the Breaking Bonds Addiction Recovery Ministry. Mike was also a founding member of TVIB in 2009. He served on the TVIB Board of Directors for 10 years, leading as its first Chairman in 2012, and remaining active as the Audit Committee chairman until his death.

Shortly after Mike’s passing the TVIB Board of Directors discussed creating a recognition award to honor the spirit of the man who was integral to TVIB’s establishment and success. The board reflected on the values that defined Mike – dedication, perseverance, and a selfless commitment to serving others.

While working on the foundation of this award with a small group of TVIB’s founders and earliest supporters, Todd Rushing, Mike’s son, said of Mike “Everything he did, he did for someone else.” This sentiment resonated with the group and was quickly adopted into its framework.

Today, TVIB is proud to announce the establishment of the Mike Rushing Legacy Service Award, a distinguished recognition that celebrates a lifetime of commitment to serving others and outstanding contributions to the maritime industry. This award seeks to honor individuals who embody those characteristics and traits Mike modeled throughout his life. The honoree selected will serve as a role model for compassion, service, and a passion for their community both at home and within the industry.

The award is open to anyone in the towboat, tugboat, and barge industry, including members of the U.S. Coast Guard who displays the core principles of the award: community service, professional excellence, and active and engaged mentorship. Nominations are being accepted for individuals who embody Mike’s spirit of selfless leadership now through March 15th. The winner will be recognized at this year’s Waterways Journal Inland Marine Expo, and a financial contribution will be made to the Seaman’s Church Institute Ministry on the River program in honor of the recipient.

This award is not about the number of years served. It’s about the countless moments of inspiration, mentorship and leadership that have shaped the towboat, tugboat, and barge industry, and acknowledging the enduring impact that a single individual can have on an organization and countless lives of others.

For more information about the award, or to nominate an individual, please visit www.thetvib.org/mikerushing/.
Nominations are open now and must be submitted by Friday, March 15th.

To view the article published in the most recent edition of the Waterways Journal, click here. 

 

MobileOps and TVIB Announce Integration

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MobileOps, a leading provider of maritime operations software solutions, is excited to unveil its latest integration with the Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB), a Coast Guard-approved third-party organization for Subchapter M compliance. This integration is streamlining compliance management processes and significantly enhancing operational efficiency for maritime businesses. The request to integrate the two systems originated from a customer and is now getting accolades from other MobileOps customers, as they see value in the data integration and streamlined process.

TVIB, renowned for its comprehensive Subchapter M compliance services, is an invaluable resource for vessel operators navigating a complex landscape of regulations and safety requirements. TVIB has built innovative compliance systems to not only conduct required regulatory activities, but also to share the data collected back with each customer, with the goal of transparency and continuous improvement with federal regulations for every vessel operator. Through this integration, MobileOps users can now seamlessly link TVIB audit and survey findings in MobileOps, transforming the way compliance data is managed and shared across platforms.

Michael Armfield, President of MobileOps, expressed his excitement, stating, “Our collaboration with TVIB marks a significant leap in simplifying compliance management for operators. By bridging the gap between our platforms, we are enabling our users to effortlessly connect audit and survey findings, eliminate duplicate work, and achieve unparalleled efficiency within a single operational ecosystem.”

Traditionally, TVIB users faced the challenge of duplicating data entry by tracking the same findings both in TVIB’s platform and MobileOps’ compliance module. This labor-intensive process required users to resolve findings in both systems, resulting in time-consuming double-work and reduced productivity.

This powerful new integration enables the automated flow of data from TVIB’s Quickbase system directly to the MobileOps platform, where nonconformities can be created in just a few clicks using the TVIB Finding #, establishing a one-time linkage. Subsequent updates made to Nonconformity workflows in MobileOps then automatically update in TVIB’s Quickbase. This seamless flow of data not only eliminates the need for redundant data entry but also ensures that TVIB’s Quickbase findings are updated in real-time, automating the process of closing out audit and survey findings more efficiently.

“Collaborating with MobileOps was a natural step in our commitment to simplifying compliance processes. This integration empowers our users to focus on their operations rather than administrative tasks, fostering a culture of efficiency and accuracy.” -Lauren Jeppson, Executive Vice President of TVIB

The MobileOps and TVIB integration brings forth a new era of compliance management, aligning regulatory compliance and technology to drive efficiency and accuracy. As the maritime sector continues to evolve, this collaboration stands as a beacon of progress, simplifying complex processes for a brighter future.

About MobileOps:

MobileOps is a leading maritime fleet management software company, providing solutions that empower maritime companies to manage their operations with ease, efficiency, and safety. With a commitment to innovation, MobileOps delivers comprehensive tools that enable maritime professionals to streamline processes, enhance safety protocols, and drive operational excellence. For more information, visit www.mobileops.com.

About TVIB:

The Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau, or TVIB, is a non-profit, professional trade organization of marine auditors, surveyors and businesses formed in 2009. TVIB became a Coast Guard-approved third-party organization for Subchapter M compliance activities in 2017. In addition to conducting compliance activities on behalf of the Coast Guard, TVIB provides educational opportunities for the maritime industry on auditing towing safety management systems and conducting towing vessel surveys for regulatory compliance, and trains and certifies professional marine auditors and surveyors to conduct consistent, objective and independent audits and surveys of marine operators. TVIB members provide marine audit and survey services to inland, coastal and ocean-going towing operators, as well as support service operators, across the country. For more information, visit www.thetvib.org.

 

Media Contact:

Niv Yaron

Marketing Manager

niv@mobileops.co

(866) 619-915