DFI Announces 2024 Hal Hunt Lecture Being Delivered at 49th Annual Conference

Hawthorne, N.J. : Captain Richard Phillips, a national hero, is presenting the Hal Hunt Lecture on Communications at DFI’s 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations. The international conference is being held October 7–10, at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado.

For five days in April 2009, Captain Phillips became the center of an extraordinary international drama when he was captured by Somali pirates who hijacked his ship, the Maersk Alabama. It was the first hijacking of a U.S. ship in more than 200 years. Amid the standoff, he offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew.  Thus began the tense stand-off, which ended in a daring high-seas rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs.

Captain Phillips authored A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea detailing his experience. This dramatic story was also transformed into an Academy-Award and Golden-Globe nominated film, Captain Phillips.

Recognized as a national hero, Phillips now gives inspiring speeches on stepping up, finding courage within yourself and putting your community first. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy a member of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Union, and a licensed American merchant mariner.

The Hal Hunt Lecture was established in 1989. The lecture was named in honor of Hal W. Hunt, one of the initial organizers of DFI. From inception to 2014, notable communicators in the deep foundations industry were awarded this honor to provide presentations at DFI’s conference each year. Beginning with DFI’s 40th Anniversary Conference in 2015, celebrities with inspirational and motivating stories have been invited to deliver the lecture.

More information about Captain Phillips and the Annual Conference is available here.