Barberesi Retires from MarAd After 28 Years

Raymond Barberesi, most recently Director of the Office of Ports and Domestic Shipping at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd), retired effective June 26, 2004 after 28 years of Federal service.

As a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service, Barberesi lead major MarAd and Departmental programs including the Marine Transportation System (MTS) initiative, having served as Executive Director of the MTS National Advisory Council for the past three years (www.mtsnac.org). Recognized as the leader of the MTS program at MarAd, Barberesi was instrumental in influencing the comprehensive maritime industry program proposals being advanced at the Department of Transportation under the now familiar title of SEA-21.

MarAd’s Short Sea Shipping initiative was envisioned, designed and spearheaded by Barberesi and today is a major part of DOT’s future vision for an integrated transportation network. The industry partnership Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program, or SCOOP (www.shortsea.us), was developed under his direction and includes over 60 commercial partners in its membership. One of his additional responsibilities was his position as U.S. Delegate to the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Ports (www.oas.org/cip). Through his commitment to the OAS, Mr. Barberesi chaired the Inter-American Committee on Ports Technical Advisory Group on Port Security, and the Subcommittee on Port Training. Among the many accomplishments of the U.S. Delegation under his direction, were the congressionally recognized Inter-American Port Security Training Program, the OAS Hemispheric Port Security Self-Assessment Program, and the OAS Strategic Framework for Inter-American Port Security Cooperation adopted this past February at SecurePort, the historic OAS Western Hemispheric Conference on Port Security. Barberesi was also responsible for guiding DOT’s efforts under its statutory authority to license the construction and operation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Deepwater Ports in U.S. coastal waters.

In his previous position of Director, Office of Sealift Support at MarAd, Mr. Barberesi was an architect of the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) Program. These programs, legislatively established in 1996, today assure essential intermodal sealift capability for the Department of Defense in times of national emergency.

Mr. Barberesi started his professional maritime career at the age of 18 at the State University of New York Maritime College where he earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology & Oceanography. He holds a Master of Science degree in Administration from The George Washington University. Mr. Barberesi is a retired Naval Reserve Officer and spent his early career as a Deck Officer aboard U.S.-flag vessels.