Leslie Hughes, who served as the first executive director of NPFVOA and whose tenure here lasted until 2012, passed away earlier this month. The following is a message from her husband, Steve:
Leslie was my wife for 36 years – and every one of those years made me, our family, and our community better. She loved the sea, and she loved the people who make their living on it. More than anything, she wanted them to come home safe.
From her start in the late 1970s with Ben Jenson to her decades at the North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association (NPFVOA), Leslie made safety her mission. She helped develop the first Vessel Safety Manual – a practical, working guide that became a national standard. When NPFVOA reorganized in 1989–1990 to focus solely on safety, she was asked to lead the program. She gave it everything she had, every day, until the day she retired.
Under Leslie’s leadership, NPFVOA trained more than 37,000 mariners. That training – and the culture of readiness it created – has been credited with saving lives, especially in Alaska’s unforgiving waters. Her close partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard was built on trust and earned her two Meritorious Public Service Awards, the Puget Sound Maritime Person of the Year award in 2006, and the Jerry Jurkovich Award for advancing safety at sea. She also served for twelve years on the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Advisory Committee.
But Leslie didn’t care about awards or attention. Her question was always the same: “Did we help someone get home?”
Leslie was very clear with me: she did not want a celebration of life, and she did not want attention focused on her. She wanted us to focus on the work – the mission of safety at sea. In keeping with who she was, and how she lived, I’m asking friends and colleagues not to send flowers or make travel arrangements. Instead, if you wish to honor her memory, please help continue her life’s work.
“Today’s NPFVOA stands on the shoulders of Leslie Hughes.”
– Matt Lasley
Donations can be made in Leslie’s memory to:
North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association (NPFVOA)
1900 W Nickerson St, Suite 315
Seattle, WA 98119
Please include in the memo: In loving memory of Leslie Hughes
Leslie gave 100 percent. She loved her work, she loved her people, and she loved her family. We love her back – and we will carry her legacy forward.
– Steve
