The Maritime Administration (MarAd) has appointed Kevin M. Tokarski its new Associate Administrator for National Security. In his new role as associate administrator, Tokarski will provide leadership and oversight to the Office of Emergency Preparedness, the Office of Sealift Support, the Office of Ship Disposal, and the Office of Ship Operations and its three divisions: Atlantic Operations, Gulf Operations and Pacific Operations.
During his more than 20 years of service at the Maritime Administration, Tokarski has excelled at a variety of assignments spanning different aspects of ship operations, from mobilization to sealift, to readiness and security, and marine transportation and domestic emergency response.
Tokarski joined the Maritime Administration in 1985 as a marine operations analyst and marine transportation specialist. In 1990, he was promoted to supervisory emergency planning & operations analyst, and was subsequently selected to be liaison officer to the U.S. Transportation Command. He has also served the agency as project manager for the Ready Reserve Force Information Technology Modernization Project. Prior to this promotion, Tokarski was deputy director of the agency’s Office of Ship Operations.
His maritime experience includes sea duty as deck officer, having sailed in the U.S.-flagged merchant marine. Tokarski holds a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Deck Officer license.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marine transportation and business management from the State College of New York Maritime College in 1984. In 1990, he graduated from the with a Master of Arts degree in general administration/financial. Additionally, Tokarski is a 1993 graduate of the in , where he earned an additional Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies.