November 28, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Two Flag Officers Join Friends of The Cruiser Olympia Advisory Board

PHILADELPHIA, PA —The Friends of the Cruiser Olympia announced the addition of two distinguished Flag Officers to the organization’s new Advisory Board to support the group’s mission to restore and preserve a National Treasure and historic icon vessel, the Cruiser Olympia.

Bruce Harris, Executive Director, announced that Rear Admiral Bill Retz (USN-Ret.) and Rear Admiral Thomas Marfiak (USN-Ret.) have agreed to join the Advisory Board. “We are honored to have these two very important U.S. Navy Flag Officers support our objectives,” said Harris. “The Advisory Board was created recently to secure top-level U.S. Navy and other officials to provide advice and counsel to us in our $22M Capital Campaign programs, as well as to secure ownership of the Cruiser Olympia and begin the process of dry docking and restoring this National Landmark.”

Rear Admiral Bill Retz completed his active service in the USN in 1995 after more than 32 years as a surface warfare officer. From 1992-1994, he commanded the Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and the Naval Surface Group in the Middle Pacific. He later commanded and was responsible for the final closure of the Philadelphia Naval base. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (3 Gold Stars), Bronze Star with Combat “V,” Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Navy Commendation Medal, Combat Action Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation. After leaving active duty, RADM Retz was employed as VP for ARAMARK Corp, CEO of NOFIRE Technologies Corp, Executive Director of The American Competitiveness Institute and now concentrates full time on his consulting business. He is a trustee of St. Luke’s School, member the Navy League, and resides with his wife in Denison, Texas.

Rear Admiral Thomas Marfiak completed his service in the USN in 1999 after over 33 years as a commanding officer aboard the USS Bunker Hill, USS Doyle, the USS Kitty Hawk Carrier Battle Group, and service as Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Department of Defense. He was also Acting Director of the CNO’s Executive Panel, as well as Head of Surface Warfare Plans and Programs, U.S. Central Command, and Commandant, National War College at the National Defense University. He has provided services on strategic acquisition and development of advanced maritime systems at Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd, a major defense consulting company, since 2003, and is currently a senior associate. From 1999 to 2003, Rear Admiral Marfiak was CEO at the U.S. Naval Institute, leading the group’s staff of over 110 and a budget of over $20M. He has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with Combat V and four Gold Stars), and numerous other personal and campaign awards. He is a recipient of the John Paul Jones Leadership Award from the Navy League of the United States. RADM Marfiak is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (BS). He has also been awarded a Diploma (MA) at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and a Masters of Art in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. RADM Marfiak has also attended the Leadership Seminar at the Kennedy School, Harvard University

For further Information:
Bruce R. Harris
Executive Director
Friends of the Cruiser Olympia
The Keepers of Our Naval Heritage
Two Penn Center Plaza, Suite 200
Philadelphia, PA 19102
W (215) 854-6309
Fax (215) 569-0216
bruceharris@cruiserolympia.org

# # #

.