SAN FRANCISCO - Chief Petty Officer Leigh W. Johannsen, a boatswain's mate from New Richland, Minn., received the 2007 Coast Guard Foundation Admiral James S. Gracey Award for Professional Excellence here on May 2, 2008.

Johannsen was nominated for the award for his performance at Group/Air Station North Bend in North Bend, Oregon. He was chosen from four other nominees for the award. "It was an incredible honor," Johannsen said of winning the award. "The whole thing was surreal, I'm very fortunate."

As the sole boatswain's mate for the Group/Air Station, Johannsen has overseen 69 search and rescue cases, with two lives saved, as well as nearly 200 mariners in distress assisted and more than $2 million in property preserved.

As a Red Cross certified first aid instructor, Johannsen trained more than 120 Coast Guard members in first aid, automatic external defibrillator (AED), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He also served as an instructor for the local Red Cross chapter for community classes.

Johannsen is a strong leader, actively promotes Coast Guard volunteerism and builds partnerships throughout the local community. He served as a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts, is active in his church's youth group, and serves as a camp counselor and teaches water safety.

Johannsen is a 1988 graduate of New Richland Heartland High School. His parents, Warren and Linda Johannsen, currently reside in Twin Lakes, Minn.

The Admiral James S. Gracey Award, named after the seventeenth Commandant of the Coast Guard, is awarded to Coast Guard members displaying professional excellence.

Video of the 2007 Coast Guard Foundation Admiral James S. Gracey Award for Professional Excellence is available here http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmcUrEAvvY