Hepburn and Sons has hired Rear Admiral Sam Perez as Chief, Advisory Services.
Rear Admiral, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, earned his Masters of Art degree in Strategic Planning from Naval Postgraduate School and completed a year-long tour of the Federal Executive Fellowship (FEF) Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Perez served in the U.S. Navy for 36 years, following commissioning from the United States Naval Academy in 1980. His at-sea commands included command of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and command of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1. During his tour as the Deputy Director Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS), Perez was assigned to Operation Unified Response as part of the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake in 2010. His duties included leading an engineering and logistics team, the first to survey hurricane damage to the port and clear damage so emergency supplies could be brought in and regular port operations could continue.
He served as the 65th president of the Board of Inspection and Survey. His responsibilities included the assessment of the material readiness of the fleet. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.