Executive Profile

Name: Thomas E. Farewell
Age: 51
Position: President, chief executive Oceanic Institute
First job: Grocery clerk, Salem, Va.
Favorite pastimes: Snorkeling, sailing

"Oceanic Institute has developed over 35 years a tremendous amount of technical competence in aquaculture. It is my goal to help the (government) granting agencies to achieve their goals and seek new commercial applications for aquaculture internationally," Farewell said.

The Institute earlier this year was the subject of critical government audits and reports regarding its financial management and program performance. The group almost lost its federal grants but, thanks to Hawaii's congressional delegation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is still funding institute projects. However the department promises to keep close tabs on the research organization.

Farewell, most recently a vice president with local design firm GMP Associates, is no stranger to working with, and for, the government.

For 26 years, Farewell was with the U.S. Army, mostly with the Army Corps of Engineers in the United States, Europe and the Pacific. These assignments included assistant professor of engineering at the U.S. Miltary Academy at West Point, N.Y., federal procurement officer and chief executive officer and district engineer of the Huntington district in the Ohio River Valley.

The final two years were as chief financial programmer of the Army's downsizing program.

He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering at West Point in 1966, a master's degree in civil engineering and a doctorate in theoretical and applied mechanics at the University of Illinois.