OUR STORY

Laura started LOCUS in 1999 after leaving a federal career in pursuit of meaningful work that supported her lifestyle as a working mom. The name “Locus” is based on a mathematical term which means the location where a set of points meet. Policy, research, development, and implementation form our nexus.

Over time, Locus expanded its focus from governmental and non-profit policy work to commercial clients in the maritime industry when George Burkley joined in 2002. Locus created and managed the Maritime Pilots Institute (MPI) which was formed in 2003 and now comprises the training entity for Locus. Locus-MPI training and research is specifically geared toward ship pilots’ needs.

To that end, George designed a spherical ship simulator, the first of its kind, inside a 40’ dome structure in downtown Covington to meet pilot training needs for “close-in ship handling.”  Unlike prior ship simulators which had a cylindrical view, MPI’s cutting edge design provided a 360-degree field of view. The grand opening was scheduled for two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit. Overnight, MPI became the emergency dispatch site for two of the founding pilot groups affected by the hurricane. MPI replaced the dome simulator in 2012 with state-of-the art flat screen technology.

In 2009, George towed “The Virginia,” the original prototype for our subsequent manned models, from Virginia Beach down to Covington with his 1972 Chevy truck.  Over time, MPI developed its manned-model site, Port St. Tammany in Bush, Louisiana, later adding more training vessels and tugs to our fleet. Locus and MPI have survived fire, hurricane, flooding and tornadoes over the years, with the latter completely wiping out its manned-model fleet in 2011. Concurrently, Locus-MPI began to provide various research simulation scenarios and expert maritime consultation in support of pilot activities. We are now recognized as a leading expert in this arena.

Laura continues as the managing partner overseeing all aspects of business including contract and financial oversight. George continues as maritime expert overseeing direct client service delivery.