Westerly resident Charlie Gruetzner was recently honored with the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) Len Hadley Volunteer Award at the Foundation’s annual gala in Kennebunkport, Maine. The award recognizes outstanding effort and dedication to the preservation of lighthouses.
A member of the board of the local lighthouse organization, Charlie also serves as first mate on their 26-foot launch which transports visitors to the island museum. An active volunteer, he has participated in the construction of a new picket fence on the lighthouse grounds and serves as a museum docent. In addition, he has conducted training of the captains and first mates for the annual US Coast Guard inspections. He traveled far and wide to purchase a secondary boat for the group, a Century 1801 Center Console.
As a resident of Carmel, NY, Charlie was a Lieutenant on the White Plains, NY Fire Department. He served as an Adjunct Professor at Mercy College, Yorktown Heights, NY, where he taught undergraduate courses in Environmental Health and Safety Management and later served as Dean, overseeing three master, sixteen bachelor and five associate degree programs.
Most recently he was a Marine Surveyor for Oceanis Marine Services, Inc. in Peekskill, NY. His surveys of small craft and yachts, yacht deliveries, marine safety consultation, and accident, fraud, and fire investigation skills all made him the perfect choice as Pomham Rocks’ first-ever Fleet Captain.
An accomplished photographer, Charlie’s photos are often featured on Pomham’s social media sites and accompany releases to local and national media.
Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation
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