Titan Announces Public Affairs Team Changes

Ship repair services provider Titan has announced that Frank Collins will join the company as Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs.

Collins will replace long-time Vigor Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Jill Mackie, who has announced her retirement effective the end of June. Additionally, Benton Strong was recently named Director of Public Affairs, responsible for all communications, as well as state and local government affairs across all Titan companies including of Vigor, MHI Holdings and Continental Maritime of San Diego (CSMD).

Collins joins Titan from the Shipbuilders Council of America, where he served as Senior Defense Advisor. He has over 37 years of public and private sector experience in the ship repair industry. Collins was chief of staff for a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and district director for a member who later chaired the House Armed Services Committee. He served as chief executive officer of United States Marine Preservation, as a principal government relations representative for BAE Systems Ship Repair, and was senior vice president at United States Marine Repair.

“I am thrilled to be joining Titan,” Collins said. “I have enormous respect for its leadership team, some of whom I have worked with previously and known for decades. The outstanding reputations of Vigor, MHI and CMSD, and my lifelong commitment to our industry, makes this opportunity a stellar fit.”

Strong joined Vigor in October 2020 and was recently promoted to director of public affairs. He previously spent seven years as a leading political advocacy communications professional in Washington, D.C. as well as serving as communications director for the mayor of Seattle. He is also a veteran of nearly a dozen political campaigns, including for a former Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair and Appropriations Committee chair.

Mackie joined Vigor, a Titan company, in 2015, after 17 years as head of government relations and strategic communications at the Seattle Times. During her tenure with Vigor/Titan, she led the company’s corporate communications and government relations through two acquisitions and significant company growth and change.

Mackie led Vigor’s government affairs support for the next generation of the Washington State Ferries, as well as federal appropriations and defense policy efforts in ship repair, marine and heavy complex fabrication. In Vigor’s local government affairs efforts, she has been a voice for ensuring local policy supports the critical, family wage industrial jobs offered across all Titan companies. She has served on the boards of the Shipbuilders Council of America, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Portland Business Alliance and the Washington Maritime Federation, and on advisory committees for a number of local elected officials.

“Jill has been an integral partner in much of our company’s success and a valued member of our leadership team for nearly a decade,” said Jim Marcotuli, Titan CEO. “We are grateful Frank, with his decades of experience on Capitol Hill and in the ship repair industry, will bring his expertise to Titan. With Frank leading our federal government affairs and Benton leveraging his communications and political experience, our government affairs and communications team will be strong contributors to our future success.”

Mackie’s retirement will be effective June 30, and Collins will assume his role effective July 1. Strong is currently serving as director of public affairs, including as the main media contact for Titan.