AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles Trustee Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen will be honored with the inaugural Gaffen Blue Champion Award for his visionary leadership in seeking to transform San Diego’s waterfront, driving AltaSea’s growth and development, and fostering “Blue” collaboration and partnerships between Los Angeles and San Diego. The award, presented by TMA BlueTech in collaboration with the Norwegian Consulate General during its annual conference, will be presented to Gaffen in San Diego on November 13.

The award presentation and fireside chat will be held aboard the historic tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl at Broadway Pier in San Diego. The event is open to the public. More details and tickets can be found here.

Named in recognition of Gaffen’s enduring commitment to maritime heritage and civic growth, the Gaffen Blue Champion Award celebrates those whose work bridges science, industry, and policy to drive measurable environmental and economic progress. This first-ever award marks the beginning of a new tradition within BlueTech Month, honoring leaders who embody the values of integrity, innovation, and stewardship that define the global Blue Economy.

“Gaf’s vision proposes to revitalize San Diego’s waterfront to bring communities together at the coastline, and we are so glad he is bringing that same vision up to Los Angeles at AltaSea,” said AltaSea President & CEO Terry Tamminen. “Gaf is well-deserving of this special recognition and having the award named after him. His lifelong dedication to building a more resilient and prosperous ocean future deserves this significant recognition.”

With more than 40 years of construction, development and project management success, Gaffen has led numerous large-scale projects that have redefined California’s waterfronts, including the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan in San Diego and the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront and Promenade. Gaffen founded Gafcon, Inc., one of Southern California’s most respected construction consulting firms and continues to guide transformative developments like Seaport San Diego, a $3.5 billion reimagining of the city’s Central Embarcadero that blends hospitality, entertainment, experiential retail and food and beverage and education with a focus on sustainability.

“Gaf’s leadership has set the standard for what it means to build a sustainable Blue Economy – one that balances innovation, community, and environmental responsibility,” said TMA BlueTech Executive Director Matt Classen. “It’s only fitting that he receives this award in recognition of his decades of visionary leadership and impact.”

TMA BlueTech is the first and largest ocean and water technologies cluster in the United States. Founded in 2007, TMA brings together more than 140+ members across defense, industry, science, and investment to grow a sustainable, resilient, and innovative ocean economy. BlueTech Month 2025 is a month-long, statewide initiative highlighting California’s global leadership in ocean innovation, workforce development, and maritime sustainability. Organized by TMA BlueTech and its partners, it features events from San Francisco to San Diego – uniting leaders from policy, defense, academia, and industry to define the next era of the ocean economy.

About AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles

AltaSea is a 35-acre ocean innovation campus based at the Port of Los Angeles, North America’s busiest seaport. With 180,000 sq. ft. of renovated facilities, 4,500 linear feet of dock space, and its newly completed Center of Innovation, AltaSea brings together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, and community stakeholders to advance ocean-based solutions, grow the blue economy, and inspire the next generation.

For more information, visit www.altasea.org.

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