A decades-long commitment

Jerry Dzugan believes planning was key to a seamless transition for his organization while he was on sabbatical. The staff, acting director and board all worked together, allowing him to completely step aside from his duties as executive director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association.

It was also helpful for AMSEA that the acting director was someone very familiar with Alaska nonprofits, Dzugan said, adding a new perspective to the association’s operations. As a result, permanent changes were made, improving fiscal forecasting and giving the board greater clarity.

Confident work was well handled, Dzugan thoroughly enjoyed visiting the seaports of Seattle; Savannah, Georgia; Mystic, CN; Boston; Nova Scotia; Montreal and onto the Southwestern desert.

After 30 years of responsibilities and long hours, Dzugan admits he was finally burning out. So the break and traveling the sabbatical provided allowed him to breathe deeply, relax and take time to reflect on his eventual retirement and the future of the organization.

“This was restorative to my energy, attitude, outlook and importantly, to my health. This sabbatical contributed greatly to the quality of my life,” he says. And it added to his longevity at the marine safety organization. Thirty-six years after he started at AMSEA, including five years after his sabbatical, Dzugan was still at it.