Texas A&M to Reduce Tuition For Merchant Mariner License Students
classification. Students outside these regions will be considered out-of-region and see no impact on cost.Gen. (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University, said, “The fee waiver is a common-sense measure that will benefit recruitment efforts from our neighbor states on the Gulf Coast, soon helping to ease the pressure of the labor shortage in the industry.”The merchant mariner workforce is declining as workers age and retire, and the industry continues to suffer from a lack of awareness and exposure. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD)
NOAA Hosts GOM Hiring Events for Research Ship Jobs
NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations will hold two hiring events in the Gulf Coast region to recruit professional mariners to work aboard NOAA’s ocean research ships. The first event will be in Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 23 and the second is in New Orleans on Jan. 25.NOAA operates a fleet of 15 hydrographic survey, oceanographic research and fisheries survey vessels. NOAA ships operate in the U.S. and around the world. The ships are run by a combination of NOAA commissioned officers and civilian professional mariners.NOAA’s civilian professional mariners are federal employees and include
Schneider Named Engineering Director at Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard
levels of quality, support and service in our industry,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s President and CEO. “The addition of Nate to our management team supports our growth initiative at BMS and companywide.”Schneider previously served as Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy SUPSHIP Gulf Coast where he led over 900 government civilian, contractor and military professionals in overseeing the design and construction of major Department of Defense acquisitions. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Staff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Ship Programs and has a Bachelor of Science
Tentative US West Coast Port Contract Deal Reached
land merchandise for the critical back-to-school, Halloween and Christmas retail shopping seasons. Manufacturers, automakers and food producers who import or export goods also rely on the Pacific Coast ports.West Coast port market share dipped after some customers shifted cargo to rival East Coast and Gulf Coast ports to avoid potential labor disruptions during the negotiations. It also comes as drought conditions affecting the Panama Canal make it more difficult and expensive to send goods from China to those alternate ports.The agreement "brings the stability and confidence that customers have been
Metal Shark Hires Marshall as Executive VP
from 1993-2007.At Metal Shark, Marshall will assume responsibility for the full realm of the company’s program management efforts, from outward facing customer interactions to internal systems and Programs personnel management, in support of all new builds across the company’s three Gulf Coast boat building facilities
Top US Shipping Gateway Mostly Closes Due to Port Worker Shortage
normal operations," said the group, which is managed by a unit of the City of Los Angeles.Union workers at the ports have been on the job without an employment contract since the previous agreement expired on July 1, 2022, and the labor dispute has forced major retailers to shift cargo to East and Gulf Coast ports to avoid disruptions.The ILWU and PMA have recently said they reached a tentative agreement on key negotiation sticking points and were committed to resolving the contract matter expeditiously as the administration of President Joe Biden continued to meet with the groups to help facilitate
Gresham Named VP and Chief Counsel of Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ethics Network and is an active member in the Mississippi Bar, where she serves on the Professionalism Committee and the executive board for the Litigation Section. She also serves on the board of directors for the Mississippi Corporate Counsel Association.Julie is a proven leader in the Mississippi Gulf Coast community, serving as an active member of the American Red Cross, president-elect of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and past-chair of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce. Julie received her Bachelor of Science degree in speech communication from the University of Southern
Joey D’Isernia Named CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group
Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) project for the U.S. Coast Guard. Today, the company builds both commercial and government vessels, and it has produced more than 350 diverse vessels for domestic and international customers. It currently employs more than 1,600 people across three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast.Brian started his career as a lawyer, became a commercial fisherman, and soon turned his passion of commercial fishing into building his own fishing vessels. He eventually progressed from commercial fishing into vessel construction, opening the shipyard in 1976. He will serve as “chairman
Ingalls Promotes Nastasi to VP
, community engagements, trade shows and special events. With an emphasis on collaboration and quality, Nastasi has worked to highlight the importance of Ingalls Shipbuilding’s purpose and mission.Prior to joining Ingalls Shipbuilding, Nastasi served as chief executive officer of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and executive director for the chamber’s foundation. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross.A graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, Nastasi obtained her bachelor’s and master&rsquo
Callan Marine Names Maldonado VP
Engineer. Maldonado graduated from Wharton College in 1999.“We are very excited to welcome Joey to our Callan work family,” stated Greg Harner, Chief Operating Officer of Callan Marine. “I have known and worked with Joey for over 20 years on a variety of marine projects throughout the Gulf Coast Region. We are fortunate to have him grow within our organization. With his leadership and management talents, marine construction skills, and commitment to our vision and mission, there are many great things ahead.&rdquo
Dorsey Named Operations VP at Ingalls Shipbuilding
management with a focus on the DDG 51 class where he and his team managed the installation, test and activation of multiple complex ship systems.He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Nicholls State University, an MBA in project management from Capella University and is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Masters Leadership Program
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Announces Leadership Change
role within Fincantieri Marine Group, the corporate entity that oversees FBS.Perciavalle comes to Fincantieri after most recently serving for years as the president of Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Perciavalle has an extensive background in the shipbuilding and repair industry, having worked at several Gulf Coast shipyards throughout his career. He is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Engineering Systems. During his career, Perciavalle has held various senior management positions overseeing commercial and government new construction
CSignum Promotes Reyes to Chief Commercial Officer
expert with over 20 years of experience across the energy industry value chain and has held a variety of commercial and technical roles focused on subsea infrastructure, asset economics, regulatory policy and corporate strategy. On August 5, she was honored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers-Gulf Coast Section in their annual SPE-GCS Awards and Scholarships Banquet for her work providing E&P and A&D careerists with industry knowledge sharing and professional development opportunities.“Molly has a strong commercial background serving ocean industries and inspires others by example
Ingalls Names Norris Director of Government Affairs
stability to the shipyard and the communities it serves.”Prior to joining Ingalls, Norris led program management activities for Covington Civil and Environmental in support of the state of Mississippi’s RESTORE Act coastal restoration program. His previous roles include president of the Gulf Coast Business Council, executive director of Governor Haley Barbour’s Office of Hurricane Katrina Recovery and Renewal, and projects director and legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. Norris holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Mississippi
NOARC Launches Autonomous Special Project Class at PRCC
signed a five-year Collaborative Applications Research Agreement to support this development initiative.“There is a need for coastal mapping technicians, with experience in precision, unmanned environmental monitoring systems and this is critical to new business opportunities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said David Brannon, President of NOARC.This course will help students acquire real-world experience that generates relevant, marketable skills. It will also allow potential employers who have full-time work requirements to be matched early with students during externships, internships,
Texas A&M Introduces Master of Science in Ocean Engineering Program
backgrounds in the program. There's another girl who came from environmental, a girl who came from mechanical, someone who came from a physics background. And we're all in the same classes and working together.”Having obtained her environmental and civil engineering degree at Florida Gulf Coast University, Humphrey plans to utilize her experience in the M.S. program as a stepping stone into a career about natural disaster research.“I’ve always been interested in the environment and, in particular, things like hurricanes and natural phenomenon like El Niño,” said
Elliott Bay Design Group Hires Cardella, Laduke
and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) s aid it has hired two new employees to fill positions of retiring employees.Joseph Cardella joins the company as a project manager and is based out of the Covington, La. office. He will lead and manage diverse marine projects along the Gulf Coast, supporting clients with their engineering needs.Cardella has over 13 years of experience as a naval architect and project engineer within the maritime field. He has design expertise in the offshore maritime industry, developing various mobile offshore drilling units and more recently floating
