The prestigious International Maritime Prize for 2018 is to be awarded to Joseph J. Angelo, a former United States Coast Guard (USCG) and International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) senior executive who participated in International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings for many years, providing leadership on a number of key regulatory developments.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, meeting for its 122nd session in London (15-19 July) decided to award the Prize to Angelo, in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the work and objectives of IMO and to the international maritime community as a whole.
In their nominations, the Government of the United States and INTERTANKO highlighted Angelo's constructive and collaborative work with all stakeholders to achieve outcomes.
Angelo was active in a number of IMO bodies, most notably the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). He first attended the MEPC's 13th session in 1980 and attended every session since, up to and including MEPC 73 in 2018.
The United States Government said Angelo was known as "IMO Joe", in recognition of the respect held by all for the knowledge, skill and cooperation he freely offered. He respected the Organization and believed in its enduring mission, recognizing that the success of IMO rested not on the accomplishments of a few, but on the accomplishments of everyone.
Angelo graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in 1971. After a short stint in the U.S. Navy, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard as a civilian in 1977, rising to become a member of the Senior Executive Service in 1992. He retired from the USCG in 2005 and joined INTERTANKO to manage their Americas operation, becoming Acting and later Deputy Managing Director, while being responsible for INTEERTANKO's engagement at IMO.
The International Maritime Prize is awarded annually by IMO to the individual or organization judged to have made the most significant contribution to the work and objectives of the Organization. It consists of a sculpture in the form of a dolphin and includes a financial award, upon submission of an academic paper written on a subject relevant to IMO.