COAST GUARD TO GET NEW COMMANDER

PADUCAH, Ky. -- The U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Paducah will conduct a change-of-command ceremony Thursday at Information Age Park.

The ceremony marks the beginning of Cmdr. Michael L. Blair's tour as commanding officer of the office.

As commanding officer, Blair will hold the titles of captain of the port and officer in charge of marine inspection. The Paducah office includes over 1,500 miles of navigable waters in six states and has a detachment in Nashville, Tenn.

Blair, a native of Baltimore, Md., and a 1979 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, most recently served as chief of the inspection and investigation department and port operations department and executive officer at the Marine Safety Office in Wilmington, N.C.

He replaces Cmdr. Keith D. Cameron at Paducah. Cameron, who has served as commander at Paducah since 1995, will become chief of the human resources division for the assistant commandant for marine safety, security and environment.

Blair will be responsible for all Coast Guard assets within the Paducah area. He is responsible for carrying out numerous marine safety activities, including commercial vessel safety, environmental protection and waterways management.

The safety office at Paducah has been in existence sine 1969, when the office was moved from its original site in Cairo, Ill., due to increased port safety activities in the Paducah area.

Blair, who holds a master of science degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, served aboard two Coast Guard cutters following graduation from the Coast Guard Academy in 1979. He was also engineer officer aboard the cutter Decisive at St. Petersburg, Fla.

He served as staff engineer in the marine technical and marine technical and hazardous materials division at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., before his most recent assignment since 1993 at Wilmington.

Blair's Coat Guard awards include the Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Coast Guard Achievement Medals and others commendations.