10/07/2026
Speaker Series - Captain Larry Brudnicki
Sunday, November 8th at 1pm at The Fleming Center
Captain Larry Brudnicki is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Captain whose distinguished 30-year career was defined by leadership, risk management, and high-stakes decision-making. A 1972 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a degree in Engineering, Captain Brudnicki went on to earn master’s degrees in Physical Science and Physics and held a number of command and leadership positions throughout the Coast Guard. His accomplishments include leading teams responsible for converting nearly 90% of the Coast Guard’s navigational aids to solar power, coordinating the Coast Guard’s operations during the 1995 America’s Cup, overseeing thousands of search-and-rescue cases, and directing missions involving drug interdiction and illegal migration. His service earned him numerous honors, including the Legion of Merit and the Coast Guard Medal for heroism.
Captain Brudnicki is perhaps best known as the Commanding Officer of the USCGC TAMAROA during the infamous 1991 storm that became known as The Perfect Storm. During that historic weather event, Brudnicki and his crew carried out two dramatic rescue missions in some of the most dangerous conditions ever experienced off the New England coast. The story of those rescues became part of Sebastian Junger’s bestselling book The Perfect Storm and the blockbuster film starring George Clooney. While those harrowing 100 hours represent only a small part of his 30-year Coast Guard career, they became a powerful example of the courage, teamwork, preparation, and decisive leadership that defined Brudnicki’s service. Today, he shares those firsthand experiences with audiences, drawing on his Coast Guard career to offer lessons in leadership, teamwork, decision-making, and managing risk when the stakes are at their highest.
Tickets ➡️ www.nlbarn.org/flemingcenter
