Texas A&M to Reduce Tuition For Merchant Mariner License Students
U.S. Coast Guard license while completing one of several license-option four-year bachelor’s degree programs at Texas A&M at Galveston.Effective September 1, under a new three-tiered fee structure approved by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, students from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Puerto Rico and Panama will save $300 per credit hour under in-state classification; students from Arkansas, New Mexico, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma will save $150 per credit hour under in-region classification. Students outside these regions will be
Jonathan Daniels to Lead Port of Baltimore
to expand business lines in containers, energy and cruise activity. Port Everglades is the 13th busiest container port in the U.S., the busiest energy port in Florida and the third busiest cruise homeport in the world. Prior to working at Port Everglades, Daniels was executive director and CEO for the Mississippi State Port Authority and oversaw a $570 million expansion and reconstruction project. He also worked for the Port of Oswego in New York and the Eastern Maine Development Corporation. He is a graduate of The Citadel, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science; and the Maine
Schneider Named Engineering Director at Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard
Bollinger Shipyards announced it has hired Nathan Schneider as Director of Engineering for its Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard (BMS). As Director of Engineering, Schneider will be responsible for leading the BMS Engineering Department in support of various Department of Defense and commercial new construction programs.“As we continue to grow and expand to meet the changing needs of our customers, it’s important that the leadership team and broader organization evolve to meet those demands and provide the highest levels of quality, support and service in our industry,” said Ben Bordelon
Birdon Adds Two to its US Board
the Coast Guard’s only shipyard. After his service, Rábago spent over 5 years in the private sector enabling small and large companies to do business with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Defense. He worked closely with Bollinger Shipyards (Mississippi), formally “Halter Marine,” to design and build the USCG Polar Security Cutter. Bollinger is a key subcontractor for Birdon’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program contract. RADM Rábago’s extensive experience in the areas of Engineering, Acquisition and Logistics
Port of New Orleans Names Wypyski COO
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. “His strong terminal operation background will be an asset to current operations and to the development of the new $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal.”Most recently, Wypyski served as Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Mississippi State Port Authority in Gulfport. During his 13 years there, he assisted in managing the port’s $600 million HUD-funded expansion and improvement project, negotiated lease agreements, and managed a proposed dredging project for the Federal Navigation Channel and turning basin. Before his
Gresham Named VP and Chief Counsel of Ingalls Shipbuilding
George for his decades of service and congratulate Julie on this new leadership opportunity within the law department and the company,” Boudreaux said. “Beyond being a fantastic, nationally recognized lawyer, Julie has a record of success and leadership in her community and throughout Mississippi.”Since joining the HII Law Department in 2014, Gresham has distinguished herself nationally as one of the top lawyers in her field. She is past chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Compliance and Ethics Network and is an active member in the Mississippi Bar, where she serves
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
HII Promotes Hughes and Jacobs
her role at Newport News, she will be responsible for leading all aspects of the human resources function related to the attraction, development and retention of the workforce.Prior to Jacobs’ role at Ingalls, she worked as senior director of human resources for L-3 Communications. A native of Mississippi, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi.Together, the move to corporate by Hughes and between the divisions by Jacobs, will foster critical knowledge sharing and alignment within HII. These moves will be critical in continuing
Ingalls Names Norris Director of Government Affairs
;Our relationships with community partners and governmental leaders enable Ingalls to provide long-term 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
NOARC Launches Autonomous Special Project Class at PRCC
PRCC have 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, internship
Ingalls to Hire Approximately 3,000 Full-time Shipbuilders
America's largest military shipbuilding group Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said its Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to hire approximately 3,000 full-time shipbuilders.Ingalls’ talent acquisition team has been recruiting across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, and will return to Pascagoula on June 10 to host a hiring event at Ingalls’ new human resources building. The company is hiring ship fitters, electricians, pipefitters, pipe welders and structural welders and seeking applicants with mechanical, hot work or carpentry experience.“We are steadily adding new team
Alexander Cairo Port Completes Project Labor Agreement
The construction of a new inland port at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers took another step forward on Tuesday as the Alexander Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Illinois AFL-CIO. The project labor agreement ensures that more than 500 jobs created by the construction of the Cairo port will be filled by local Illinois union workers.The Alexander-Cairo port represents one of the largest investments in Southern Illinois in decades. Eighty percent of the nation’s inland barge traffic travels past Cairo, and the site is served by three major
Port of Gulfport Names Nass CEO
The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts. “Jon’s extensive background includes port management,
Ingalls Shipbuilding Promotes Nungesser to VP
to the Navy and returned two overhauled ships to the fleet. Previously, he served as director of planning yard services at Ingalls. Nungesser began his career at Ingalls in 1988 as an industrial engineer and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA from The University of Southern Mississippi
Munn Named VP and CFO of Ingalls Shipbuilding
contract negotiations including Ingalls’ guided missile destroyer (DDG), amphibious transport dock (LPD), national security cutter (NSC), and life-cycle engineering and support services (LCE&S) programs. Munn holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi
INTERVIEW: RDML John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
in Yokosuka, Japan and Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center in Monterey, California. Admiral Okon is currently the 11th Commander of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and 23rd Oceanographer of the Navy. He is married to Valerie Gessner Okon and they reside in Pass Christian, Mississippi.Who do you count as the key mentor(s) in your career, explaining what you gained from them.VADM John “Sarge” Alexander. Sarge taught me honest self-assessment, stewardship matters, and reconfirmed a lesson from my Father, hardwork is a talent equalizer. Sarge was my Executive Officer
US Shipyards: Always on the Job Hunt
say they are hiring too. Edison Chouest Offshore, which very recently announced it will build and operate the first-ever U.S.-flagged Jones Act compliant service operations vessel (SOV), used for offshore wind farm operation and maintenance works, will spread the build across its shipyards in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, creating more than 300 new jobs in the process. In addition, one of Chouest’s shipbuilding facilities, Gulf Ship in Gulfport, Miss., is expanding and making facilities improvements to fulfill a new tugboats contract. This project will create more than 200 new jobs.Some 30
