George Mason University News

Capt. Tony Russell (CG Ret.) has been named as the Executive Director for the Center for Arctic Study and Policy (CASP) at the Coast Guard Academy.CASP serves as a Coast Guard-focused academic think tank to promote research, broaden partnerships, and educate future leaders about the complexities of the Arctic region. Through interdisciplinary efforts across the Academy, and in collaboration with U.S. Coast Guard sponsors and external partners, the Center promotes effective solutions…

Longtime mariner and investigator Morgan Turrell has been named director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Office of Marine Safety effective March 1.The office investigates major marine accidents within the United States and its territories, as well as accidents involving U.S.-flagged vessels worldwide.Turrell began his career at the NTSB in 2003 as a nautical operations investigator. From 2007 to 2010 he served as Vice President of Marine Investigations for Princess Cruises, where he investigated casualties aboard ships worldwide.

HudsonAnalytix, announced that Admiral Thad Allen, U.S. Coast Guard retired, has joined their operation as a Senior Executive Advisor.Admiral Allen served as the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard from 2006 to 2010. He will be focusing on risk management for the global maritime transportation sector served by Hudson. Focus areas include regulatory and policy issues, crisis response and disaster management, environmental compliance, and cyber risk to shipping, ports, and supply chains.

The ailing U.S. coal industry is ramping up its political and legal offensive to win approval for West Coast export terminals that could provide a lifeline to lucrative Asia markets. Coal producers filed two recent lawsuits against governments in Washington state and California challenging local decisions to block port projects on environmental grounds. The industry is also lobbying the Trump administration to override the local bans. The fight reflects the sector’s desperation to boost exports as U.S.

The Incheon Port Authority or IPA (www.icpa.or.kr, IPA) proclaimed a new voyage to make the top 30 ports in the world in a ceremony to celebrate the achievement of 2.5 million TEU annual container volumes at Incheon New Port located in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on December 16. Incheon Port's annual container volume surpassed 2.5 million TEUs as of December 16, the largest-ever volume in the history of Incheon Port, in 11 years since hitting 1 million TEUs in 2005 and in three years since reaching two million TEUs in 2013. With this trend going, Incheon Port is expected to handle a total of 2.68 million TEU container volumes by the end of this year. This is a 12% increase from last year's 2.37 million TEU.

Until January of this year, Sean Connaughton oversaw seven state agencies with more than 9,700 employees and combined annual budgets of $5 billion. Connaughton is probably better known to MarineNews readers as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administrator during the second Bush Administration. As U.S. Maritime Administrator, he was responsible for the daily management of that agency and its promotional programs for the marine transportation industry. This included advising and assisting the Secretary of Transportation on commercial maritime matters…

Judge Walter J. Brudzinski has been selected for the position of Chief, Administrative Law Judge, U.S. Coast Guard. In this capacity, Chief Judge Brudzinski will provide supervision and administration of the Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge program. Judge Brudzinski has more than 16 years of experience as an Administrative Law Judge and has been with the U.S. Coast Guard since 2003. Prior to his initial Administrative Law Judge appointment in 1996 with the Social Security Administration…

Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise’s (LITE) newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO), Dr. Kam Ng, has officially arrived and is active in his new position. Ng was selected in April of this year and is joining the LITE team after retiring from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as the deputy director for research. “I am very excited to bring my expertise in immersive and digital media technologies to Lafayette to help the University and local businesses, large and small,” stated Ng. Ng is relieving Dr. Robert Twilley who has served as the interim CEO for LITE since November 2010.

Sean Connaughton, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia, oversees seven state agencies with more than 9,700 employees and combined annual budgets of $5 billion. But this transportation professional is perhaps best known to MarineNews readers as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administrator during the second Bush Administration. As U.S. Maritime Administrator, he was responsible for the daily management of that agency and its promotional programs for the marine transportation industry.

Fairfax, Virginia--The International Propeller Club of the Unites States has announced that R. Andrew Riester has been named Executive Vice President. After a period of transition alongside interim Executive Vice President John W. Angus, III, he will provide full-time staff leadership in the organization’s headquarters office in Fairfax, Virginia. “The executive committee of the International Propeller Club is very happy to welcome Andrew Riester aboard. His experience in the maritime industry and his association management background will be an asset to the important work of the Club…

Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT) today announced two new appointments to its North American teams. David Helfgott becomes President of Inmarsat, Inc and Head of Business Development, Americas and Peter Hadinger joins Inmarsat Global Xpress™ as President of Inmarsat Government Services Inc (IGSI). Both will be based at Inmarsat's Washington DC office. David Helfgott will be responsible for external representation of Inmarsat Inc, and will head strategy and business development in the Americas.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane will welcome a new commanding officer in a change of command ceremony here Tuesday at 10 a.m. The crew will welcome Cmdr. John W. McKinley and bid farewell to Capt. Christopher P. Scraba. McKinley comes to the Harriet Lane from an assignment as executive officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell, homeported in Alameda, Calif. McKinley graduated from George Mason University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration. In 1990, he graduated from the Coast Guard's Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Va. From January to July 2003, McKinley deployed to the Middle East as the first officer in charge…

The President intends to nominate Sean T. Connaughton, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration at the Department of Transportation. Connaughton currently works as Of Counsel for Troutman Sanders LLP. He also serves as Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. Prior to this, he worked as an Attorney at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Transportation Associate for the American Petroleum Institute. Connaughton received his bachelor's degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his master's degree from Georgetown University. He went on to receive his JD from George Mason University.