2025 Commodore Daniel Maxim Award for Excellence in Education
The Public Education Directorate is pleased to announce the 2025 Commodore Daniel Maxim Award for Excellence in Education. Established to motivate and inspire the Instructor cadre to move beyond the comfortable or ordinary and achieve the extraordinary, the award encourages flotillas to expand the breadth, number, and scope of their courses; strengthen Public Education and Member Training instructor effectiveness; improve mentorship for newer or less experienced instructors; and develop innovative teaching methods, techniques, and aids.
Auxiliarist Larry A. Cook of Flotilla 22, Lake Allatoona, Georgia, Southeast District, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Commodore Daniel Maxim Award for Excellence in Education.
Congratulations also go to Auxiliarist Grace Sagayadan of East District-Southern Region, Gaithersburg, Maryland Flotilla 24-8, and Auxiliarist Richard Dichtel of Great Lakes District-Central Region, Mt.Clemens, Michigan Flotilla 20-19, for their selection as the regional winners. They demonstrate exemplary instructor performance and an outstanding spirit of service to the public and to Coast Guard Auxiliary members.
Auxiliarist Cook enrolled in the Auxiliary in July 2010 and has significantly increased the reach and effectiveness of both public education and member training classes. Larry is an approachable, humble, and natural leader who elevates the talents of those around him. He exemplifies servant-leadership in his roles as both an instructor and a Coast Guard Auxiliary leader. He moves easily between public education and member training, bringing confidence and expertise to both. He also instills confidence in his students through positive affirmation and humor in the classroom. Through humor, learning aids, practical examples, thought-provoking questions, and challenges, Larry consistently holds his students’ attention and inspires active engagement. By asking questions and challenging his students, he continually engages his students and holds their attention. His peers recognize him as an expert in water safety, resulting in high demand for his classes.
Go to https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=E-DEPT&category=maxim-award to review the Commodore Daniel Maxim Award information, as well as previously submitted winning nomination packages and even sample awards for local nominees.
