The one-day Marine Board Fall Meeting was held online. PowerPoint presentations from the public portion of the meeting available below.
The Marine Board membership rotates every year, and at this fall meeting the Marine Board Chair position rotated from Mr. Edward Comstock to Dr. Martha Grabowski. We welcome our new Marine Board leadership with Dr. Martha Grabowski as Marine Board Chair and Dr. Craig Philip as the Marine Board Vice-Chair. Mr. James Bennett, Captain Thomas Jacobsen, Mr. Richard Steinke, and Rear Admiral Richard D. West (USN, Ret) have rotated off the committee this fall and we now have six (6) new members: Dr. Joseph Timothy (Tim) Arcano, Jr., Suzanne M. Beckstoffer, Captain Robert K. Cook, Geraldine Knatz, Anil Markose, and Vice Admiral Brian M. Salerno.
Naval Architecture and Naval Engineering
Dr. Joseph Timothy (Tim) Arcano, Jr. is a senior advisor at Rite-Solutions, Inc. who coaches and mentors in submarine design and technology development. A member of the Senior Executive Service since November 2011, he was appointed as the technical director for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in May 2013. He retired from Federal service in August 2017. He also served as: director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Ocean Exploration and Research; Corbin A. McNeill Endowed Chair in Naval Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy; deputy chief of nuclear safety at the Department of Energy; technical director for the USS Virginia (SSN 774) Class Submarine Program; technical authority for advanced submarines at Naval Sea System Command; and program manager on technical staff at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. For the National Science Foundation, he served as a member of the Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Oversight Committee. He served for 30 years of active and Reserve commissioned service in the Navy as an engineering duty officer qualified in submarines and as a salvage diving officer. He led the overhaul of the last USS Permit (SSN 594) Class submarine, was part of the team that started the design of the New Attack Submarine and then, as ship design manager, supported delivery of the lead ships of the VIRGINIA Class over a decade later. He commanded five Reserve units, including a Joint Reserve Unit for the Director, Defense Research and Engineering and a Navy Reserve Unit for the Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, USN. He retired as a Navy captain. He is a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, a fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland.
Shipbuilding/Shipyard Operations
Suzanne M. Beckstoffer is an advocate for engineering education and financial literacy. She is President of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), an international professional organization for the maritime and offshore communities with 5,000 members worldwide. She is also Chairman of the Board of BayPort Credit Union, a $1.9B financial institution with 140,000 members, headquartered in Newport News, VA. She retired in 2016 as an Engineering Director at Newport News Shipbuilding, after a 30+ year shipbuilding career. During her tenure at NNS, she led the migration of the new FORD class aircraft carrier 3D product model to a new Product Lifecycle Management toolset; directed the company’s Research & Development program; managed the installation of the Automated Steel Factory robotic cutting and welding lines for steel fabrication; and performed engineering and design activities for aircraft carriers, submarines, and commercial vessels. The Peninsula Engineers Council elected her Engineer of the Year 2015. Suzanne holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from The College of William and Mary. She serves on boards at NC State University, Christopher Newport University, and the ABET Industry Advisory Council.
Vessel Pilotage and Harbor Operations
Captain Robert K. Cook graduated from SUNY Maritime College in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology. He also graduated with an Unlimited US Coast Guard 3rd Officer’s license. After graduation, Captain Cook worked with Military Sealift Command Atlantic for 10 years. He served on Underway Replenishment Ships, ultimately becoming the UnRep Department Head onboard. While in the service of MSC, Captain Cook oversaw dry-dock operations and ship repair work both in domestic and foreign shipyards. He also served on a MSC Hydrographic Surveillance ship, the USNS Harkness, and received the Navy Humanitarian Service award for work done in the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea during Operation Intense Look. In 1993, Captain Cook became one of the first African American US Marine Pilots, in modern times, when he became a partner in the Pilot’s Association for the Bay and River Delaware. In 1994, he and 5 other African American SUNY Maritime College graduates formed the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates. As President of the OBMG since its inception, Captain Cook works tirelessly, along with his fellow board members, to provide opportunities for African Americans and minorities, including recruitment for the maritime industry, educational partnerships, scholarships, mentoring, and networking for students and graduates. In 2014, Captain Cook and fellow inductee Captain Howard Wyche were the first African Americans to be inducted into SUNY Maritime College’s Heritage Hall. He is a Trustee on the Board of Directors of the Maritime Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, a Port of Philadelphia Marine Society Board member as well as an active supporter of the Coast Guard Foundation. He supports Veterans and the 26th US Colored Troops Reenactors. Preservation of the environment, the empowerment of the community and advancement through education are his passions and he supports and works with numerous organizations both nationally and internationally.
Seaport Administration, Planning and Operations
Geraldine Knatz is Professor of the Practice of Policy and Engineering, a joint appointment between the University of Southern California’s School of Public Policy and the School of Engineering. She served as the first female Director of the Port of Los Angeles from 2006 to January 2014 and prior to that was Managing Director at the Port of Long Beach. In 2014, she was named a member of the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of her international leadership in the development of environmentally clean urban seaports. She is past chair of the American Association of Port Authorities and past president of the International Association of Ports and Harbors. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the National Academies Transportation Research Board, served for 10 years as a gubernatorial appointee to California’s Ocean Protection Council and is on the board of Dewberry Engineering. Knatz is currently the vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of Altasea, a 30 acre campus located within the Port of Los Angeles devoted to marine and maritime research, education and business entrepreneurialism. In 2020, Knatz published a political history of the Port of Los Angeles titled, Port of Los Angeles, Conflict, Commerce and the Fight for Control. Internationally recognized for her accomplishments, Dr. Knatz has received numerous awards, including Outstanding Women in Transportation (Journal of Commerce, 2007), Woman Executive of the Year (Los Angeles Business Journal, 2007), Compass Award (Women’s Leadership Exchange, 2008), honorary PhD, Maine Maritime Academy (2009), and the Peter Benchley Ocean Award (Blue Frontier Campaign, 2012).
Cyber
Anil Markose has over 20 years of experience in technology and cybersecurity, and has been a strategic advisor to Fortune 250 clients and the US Government on the topic of Cybersecurity. He has a specialized focus on helping CXO and Board of Directors address complex cyber threat exposures that arise during business led digital transformations. Anil started his career in the United States Air Force as a Communications Engineering Officer with multiple combat deployments supporting IT Operations and Information Security mission needs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After exiting the military, he has operated at the Senior Executive / Partner level at multiple global cyber consulting firms, leading innovation and next-gen services related to threat intelligence, cyber defense operations and IT resilience. Anil is currently a Director within AWS focused on security compliance and audit, related to the cloud. Anil has a BS in Computer-Systems Engineering from Boston University, and an MS in Management with a concentration in Information Systems from Florida Institute of Technology. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. Anil is an Advisory Board Member of New York University’s Cyber Fellows Program, and a Member of the Content Advisory Board for the Money 20/20 Conference.
Marine Safety / Environmental / Offshore Energy / Cruise
Brian M. Salerno is the Senior Vice President for Maritime Policy at CLIA. In this capacity, he works in conjunction with member companies to develop industry positions on a wide variety of safety, health, environmental and security matters affecting cruise ship operations around the world. He oversees a team of experts who interact with government agencies, standards setting organizations and international bodies for the purpose of shaping the regulatory landscape in a way that enables uninterrupted cruise operations. Brian served 36 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring in 2012 at the rank of Vice Admiral. During his career, he worked in a variety of Coast Guard operational missions, with a particular focus on maritime safety. He commanded field units in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in Boston MA, serving concurrently as Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge Marine Inspection, Federal On-Scene Coordinator for environmental responses, and after the 9/11 attacks, as Federal Maritime Security Coordinator. Overseas assignments included a tour as the Maritime Safety Advisor to the Panama Canal Authority. As a Flag Officer, he was responsible for establishing program policy for all prevention and response missions. He also led the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee. His most senior position was that of Deputy Commandant for Operations, which he held from 2010 to 2012. Immediately upon retirement, Brian began working as a marine consultant. He served as the U.S. Liaison for BIMCO - an international ship owner’s association headquartered in Copenhagen. He also served on the Panama Canal Navigation Safety Advisory Board. In 2013, he was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to lead the recently established Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which was focused on offshore oil exploration and production. While in this position, he strengthened Government oversight procedures based upon lessons learned from the DEEPWATER HORIZON oil spill. He stepped down in January 2017. Following his term at BSEE, Brian resumed work as an independent marine consultant. He also serves as Vice President of the U.S. Friends of World Maritime University, and as a Board member for the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA). He joined CLIA in December 2017.