Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Awards

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Scuba Diver Receives 2015 Volunteer of the Year

jesseOne of our clients, Jesse Cancelmo, was honoured this year as the 2015 Volunteer of the Year by the Office of the National Marine Sanctuaries.  Jessie is a big supporter of diving at the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary as well as around the world.  He has published several books of his photographs and appears as a guest contributor to Dive Training Magazine.  He will also be joining us on one of our Indonesia trips this year.  Congratulations Jesse!  The press release follows…

Scuba Diver Receives 2015 Volunteer of the Year

Every year the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries asks each sanctuary to select a volunteer of the year. These 14 people are then recognized at the annual Capitol Hill Ocean Week celebration.
For 2015, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary selected long-time sanctuary supporter Jesse Cancelmo.
Jesse first got involved in activities at the Flower Garden Banks in 1989, before it was designated a sanctuary. He was part of the team that installed the original mooring buoys and helped advocate for sanctuary designation.
As a journalist and underwater photographer he has introduced many others to the sanctuary and encouraged their support of this special place.
Jesse has also served as a recreational diving representative on the Sanctuary Advisory Council since 2011, including terms as Vice Chair, then Chair of the council.
Congratulations, Jesse, on many jobs well-done! We appreciate your dedication to the sanctuary for so many years.

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Ann Keibler Wins Award from Cayman Islands Department of Tourism for Adventure Travel

Ann Wins Cayman Islands Department of Tourism Tanks a Lot Promotion
Ann Wins Cayman Islands Department of Tourism Tanks a Lot Promotion
Ann Keibler won first place in the June Tanks a Lot Scuba Diving and travel Promotion which was awarded the end of July.  This is the second time in 2014, Ann has been awarded a prize by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.  She was also the winner of prizes three times in 2013.  According to Ann, “we are a Cayman Islands Travel Specialist” and we love to send people to go diving there.  It is a fantastic place to go and get away and enjoy some truly spectacular scuba diving.”
Oceanic Ventures is a full service travel company specializing in adventure and scuba diving travel.  “we have contacts all over the world and know how to find the right destination and property for our clients. whether it is a backpacking, rafting type operation or a five star resort we can help you find the right fit.”
According the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, “the ‘T’anks A Lot,’ programme offers monthly cash prizes (up to $365!) and a chance to win the ultimate grand prize: use of a Porsche Cayman for one year to dive operators that show outstanding support for the destination’s dive industry. Renowned as the birthplace of recreational diving, the Cayman Islands is home to 365 diverse dive experiences and is lauded as the Caribbean’s premier dive destination.
According to Cayman Islands Director of Tourism Shomari Scott, the ‘T’anks A Lot’ programme was conceptualized as a fun way to keep dive centres focused on the destination, while at the same time offering a chance to win an exceptional prize. “Diving in the Cayman Islands is an unforgettable and extraordinary experience and we wanted to find an equally unforgettable and extraordinary way to show our appreciation to dive operators who recommend our Islands to their valued clients.  We feel that the chance to drive a Porsche Cayman for 365 days – which reflects our 365 dive sites – will certainly be memorable to the lucky winner and we encourage dive centres across the US to enter before the closing date of October 31st.  Every confirmed booking equals one entry into the grand prize drawing which gives every dive centre whether big or small a chance to win the Porsche.”   
Ann loves helping people and she is not afraid to tell anyone that she fully intends to be driving that Porsche next year!

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Success to Significance Honoree — Ann Keibler

Ann Keibler to receive honourIn a place far, far away (i.e. Arizona) Ann was the youngest person to serve a a board member on the Arizona Cactus-Pine  Girl Scout Council Board.  She was also the recipient of the Girl Scout’s “Thanks” badge, the highest recognition that the Girl Scouts USA and the local council at the time it was given.
If you know Ann, this would not be a big surprise.  She was very active in scouting having started young as a Brownie and progressing through Senior Scouting and on into Leader training.  She even served a Trainer Trainer.  Not only was she involved in her local community, Ann was a counselor at several Girl Scout camps including Timbers in Michigan.  She spent nine summers working in Girl Scout camps.
Ann is the first person to tell you that all of this previous experience prepared her for her current occupation, running a successful Adventure and Dream company, known as Oceanic Ventures.  “Leading trips with adults and children is just like working with girls at camp, you want everyone to have some special memories and experience the adventure of a lifetime.”
Jean Janssen, one of our clients nominated Ann for as a San Jacinto Girl Scout Council’s Success to Significance Honoree.   As the Girl Scouts celebrates 100 years in 2012 the Success to Significance luncheon … honors successful women leaders who have made significant contributions in their communities. 

All proceeds from “Success to Significance” benefit the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Research conducted by the nationally-recognized Girl Scout Research Institute demonstrates that only one in five girls believes she can lead the way for others and that the greatest barrier to leadership in girls is lack of confidence in their own abilities. Girl Scouts is the only organization addressing the significant female leadership gap by facilitating girl-led programs, advocacy and service projects, girl representation on high-level committees and the Board of Directors, and ample opportunities for older Girl Scouts to lead programs for younger girls.

 Dreaming big is what Girl Scouts does best! As the premier leadership organization for girls, Girl Scouts will usher tomorrow’s generation of women leaders while honoring those who have exemplified its mission and values today.

Jean, a member of the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council Board and her husband Steven Pate, an attorney with Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P, are sponsoring Ann for this honor.  They even invited Ann’s Senior Scout Leaders, Joyce and Bill O’Morrow from Arizona to come in for the event.
Want to find out more about Ann’s Girl Scout Career?  Here is a link to her Girl Scout Bio.
Here is another article about Ann.