——
Maritime Administration
Department of Transportation > Maritime Administration
-Maritime Administration • 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE • Washington, DC 20590
——
About Us
The Maritime Administration is the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation dealing with waterborne transportation. Its programs promote the use of waterborne transportation and its seamless integration with other segments of the transportation system, and the viability of the U.S. merchant marine. The Maritime Administration works in many areas involving ships and shipping, shipbuilding, port operations, vessel operations, national security, environment, and safety. The Maritime Administration is also charged with maintaining the health of the merchant marine, since commercial mariners, vessels, and intermodal facilities are vital for supporting national security, and so the agency provides support and information for current mariners, extensive support for educating future mariners, and programs to educate America’s young people about the vital role the maritime industry plays in the lives of all Americans.
The Maritime Administration also maintains a fleet of cargo ships in reserve to provide surge sealift during war and national emergencies, and is responsible for disposing of ships in that fleet, as well as other non-combatant Government ships, as they become obsolete.
The Maritime Administration recently realigned many of its functions, to revitalize its role as an industry facilitator, and to bring greater focus to the areas of environment and safety.
——
Key Personnel
—
David T. Matsuda
Maritime Administrator
Maritime Administrator
David T. Matsuda was sworn as the Maritime Administrator on June 25, 2010. He has been the Acting Maritime Administrator since being appointed Deputy Maritime Administrator by President Obama on July 28, 2009.
Mr. Matsuda served as the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy from March 2009 until his appointment as Deputy. Prior to that, he spent seven years on Capitol Hill. While working in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Matsuda was engaged in the formulation and debate of most major Federal transportation legislation as senior counsel and primary transportation advisor to U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey.
In 2002, Mr. Matsuda became a Georgetown University Government Affairs Institute Fellow serving on the staff of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. From 1998 to 2002, he worked as an attorney with the safety law division of the USDOT’s Federal Railroad Administration.
Mr. Matsuda’s hometown is Apple Valley, California. He earned his B.S. in engineering from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in San Diego, CA. He lives with his wife Catherine Parsons Matsuda in Washington, DC
Mr. Matsuda’s hometown is Apple Valley, California. He earned his B.S. in engineering from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in San Diego, CA. He lives with his wife Catherine Parsons Matsuda in Washington, DC
******
Orlando Gotay
Deputy Maritime Administrator
Deputy Maritime Administrator
Orlando Gotay was sworn in as Deputy Maritime Administrator on June 28, 2010. He joined the Maritime Administration as Senior Advisor for Maritime Policy in late 2009.
As the Agency’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Gotay assists the Maritime Administrator by overseeing the activities of the Maritime Administration and also by spearheading various important initiatives. Mr. Gotay has been instrumental in the selection process for the Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. In March 2010, he served as head of the United States delegation to the Working Group 3 to the United Nations-sponsored Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
Prior to service in the Obama Administration, Mr. Gotay was Counselor to the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the first General Manager of the San Juan Port Commission, a municipal entity created in 2007 to increase the city’s maritime presence, foster the growth of a healthy maritime industry, and improve existing conditions at the port.
He was also the Mayor’s representative before the Puerto Rico State Legislature and served as the Mayor’s speechwriter, the first city bicycle and pedestrian coordinator and the Mayor’s liaison to the City Council.
Mr. Gotay also worked as an advisor at the Puerto Rico House of Representatives.
Prior to relocating back to his native San Juan, Mr. Gotay had a private tax practice in San Francisco, California. He also worked as an associate at the state and local taxation department of the consulting firm now know as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mr. Gotay was an officer in the U.S. Navy. He is a 1987 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD and served in the engineering departments onboard the USS Valdez and the USS Belknap, flagship of the US Sixth Fleet, home ported in Gaeta, Italy.
After leaving the Navy, Mr. Gotay obtained a law degree and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. He is a member of the California bar and is licensed to practice before the US Tax Court, and federal courts in the districts of Northern California and Puerto Rico.
Mr. Gotay is a technical diver, an amateur radio operator (WP4NPV); speaks four languages and is the Naval Academy information officer for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
He was also the Mayor’s representative before the Puerto Rico State Legislature and served as the Mayor’s speechwriter, the first city bicycle and pedestrian coordinator and the Mayor’s liaison to the City Council.
Mr. Gotay also worked as an advisor at the Puerto Rico House of Representatives.
Prior to relocating back to his native San Juan, Mr. Gotay had a private tax practice in San Francisco, California. He also worked as an associate at the state and local taxation department of the consulting firm now know as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mr. Gotay was an officer in the U.S. Navy. He is a 1987 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD and served in the engineering departments onboard the USS Valdez and the USS Belknap, flagship of the US Sixth Fleet, home ported in Gaeta, Italy.
After leaving the Navy, Mr. Gotay obtained a law degree and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. He is a member of the California bar and is licensed to practice before the US Tax Court, and federal courts in the districts of Northern California and Puerto Rico.
Mr. Gotay is a technical diver, an amateur radio operator (WP4NPV); speaks four languages and is the Naval Academy information officer for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
******
Denise Krepp
Chief Counsel/ Acting Associate Administrator for Business And Finance Development
Chief Counsel/ Acting Associate Administrator for Business And Finance Development
Ms. K. Denise Rucker Krepp was officially sworn in as the Chief Counsel of the Maritime Administration on September 28, 2009.
Prior to joining MARAD, Ms. Krepp served as Senior Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. Her portfolio included maritime and surface transportation security, and homeland defense. Ms. Krepp also worked for the Transportation Security Administration from 2002 to 2005.
Ms. Krepp began her legal career with the U.S. Coast Guard and served on active duty from 1998 to 2002.
Ms. Krepp is a graduate of The George Washington University, and the University of Miami’s School of Law.
She and her husband, Tim, have two daughters, Cason and Megan. They live in Washington, D.C.
******
Cheron Wicker
Director, Office of Congressional And Public Affairs
Director, Office of Congressional And Public Affairs
******
James E. Caponiti
Assistant Administrator
Assistant Administrator
Mr. Caponiti began his Federal career in 1973 at the Cost of Living Council. He joined the Maritime Administration, at that time under the Department of Commerce, in 1974 as an Economist in the Office of Subsidy Administration.
Mr. Caponiti currently serves as the Assistant Administrator where, as the senior Civil Servant and senior career SES Officer in the Agency, he assists the Maritime Administrator and Deputy Maritime Administrator in the daily management and oversight of the entire range of complex programs administered by the Maritime Administration. In this capacity, he is also principally responsible for the development of Agency strategic planning and policy analysis processes, and he serves as the Agency lead for international relations.
Mr. Caponiti also serves as the Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Planning Board for Ocean Shipping (PBOS), a position he has held since his election in October 1997. The NATO PBOS is responsible for developing and maintaining plans for civil shipping support to deploy NATO military forces during times of crisis and war.
Mr. Caponiti was appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in March 1996 as the Maritime Administration’s Associate Administrator for National Security where he served until May 2008. In that capacity, he was responsible for promoting and maintaining a U.S. merchant fleet to meet national security requirements. He was also responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, and management of a reserve fleet of vessels to support Department of Defense sealift operations. Prior to his SES appointment, Mr. Caponiti was named Director, Office of Sealift Support, under the new Associate Administrator for National Security, as part of a major reorganization of the Maritime Administration in October 1994. In that capacity, he was responsible for developing and executing programs to maintain and utilize U.S. commercial sealift capability and seafaring personnel.
Earlier during his tenure at the Maritime Administration, Mr. Caponiti held a number of key positions administering promotional support programs to enhance the viability of U.S.-flag vessel operators. In 1982, he was appointed to the position of Chief, Division of Subsidy Analysis, and subsequently served as Chief, Division of Subsidy Rates, and Chief, Division of Ship Operating Costs. In 1993, he was named Director, Office of Ship Operating Assistance. Also, in 1993, Mr. Caponiti was asked to serve on a detail to the Merchant Marine Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he worked closely with the Chairman, Congressman William Lipinski, in developing legislation to revitalize the U.S. Merchant Marine.
In 1984, Mr. Caponiti received the Maritime Administration’s Bronze Medal Award for his outstanding contributions to the Operating-Differential Subsidy Program. In 1996, he received the Department of Transportation’s Silver Medal Award for outstanding dedication and performance in advancing the Administration’s merchant marine assistance programs and the Voluntarily Intermodal Sealift Agreement Program. In 2000, Mr. Caponiti received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. In 2004, Mr. Caponiti received the Secretary of Transportation’s War on Terrorism Award. In 2005, Mr. Caponiti received the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive.
During the period from January 2001 to October 2002, Mr. Caponiti served as the Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator for Inland Waterways and Great Lakes.
Mr. Caponiti holds a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland in Business Administration. He and his wife, Arlene, have a daughter and two sons. They reside in Rockville, Maryland.
******
Sashi Kumar
Acting Superintendent/Academic Dean
Acting Superintendent/Academic Dean
******
Dr. David J. Adams
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Director, Office of Civil Rights
******
David J. Rivait
Associate Administrator for Budget and Chief Financial Officer
Associate Administrator for Budget and Chief Financial Officer
Dave Rivait joined the Maritime Administration as its Chief Financial Officer on June 11, 2007. Prior to his assignment at the Maritime Administration, Mr. Rivait served as the Associate Director for Performance and Budget at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which is part of the Executive Office of the President. His office had oversight responsibility for the Federal Government’s $13 billion drug control budget, funded across 19 agencies. He also assisted in the development of ONDCP’s own budget for its $470 million in drug control spending. Mr. Rivait has nearly 16 years of service at the White House, including positions at ONDCP and the Office of Management and Budget.
Prior to his recent tenure at ONDCP, he served for four years as the Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture. This office is responsible for the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which collects revenue from the property of those convicted of serious Federal offenses and uses these resources to fund law enforcement programs.
Mr. Rivait graduated in 1982 from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois with a degree in Economics. In 1984, he earned a Masters Degree in Public Policy from what is now the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He began his career in 1984 as a Presidential Management Intern in the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury.
Mr. Rivait currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia.
******
Paula Ewen
Associate Administrator for Administration
Associate Administrator for Administration
******
Joseph A. Byrne
Associate Administrator for Environment And Compliance
Associate Administrator for Environment And Compliance
…In the 1970s and early 1980s, Mr. Byrne worked in the Port of New York and New Jersey as an officer and director of an intermodal multi-purpose marine container terminal. He also was General Counsel to a consortium of some thirty steamship operators, stevedores and terminal operators that developed and administered free time and demurrage rules for cargo entering and leaving New York Harbor.
******
H. Keith Lesnick
Associate Administrator for Intermodal System Development
Associate Administrator for Intermodal System Development
Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton appointed H. Keith Lesnick Associate Administrator for Intermodal Systems Development.
In his new role as associate administrator, Lesnick provides leadership and oversight to the Office of Infrastructure Development and Congestion Mitigation; the Office of Marine Highway and Passenger Services; the Office of Deepwater Ports and Offshore Activities; the Office of Shipper and Carrier Outreach; and the agency’s nationwide Gateway offices in New York, Miami, St. Louis, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Norfolk, Va.
Prior to this promotion, he served as director of the agency’s Office of Deepwater Ports and Offshore Activities. As such, he was responsible for overseeing the authorization, construction, and operation of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil receiving facilities in the United States.
He also provided oversight to the Direct Surplus Federal Property Port Conveyance/Land Redevelopment Program, a conveyance program that transfers surplus federal real property to state and local public entities for port-expansion purposes.
Mr. Lesnick joined the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration in 1995 as a special assistant to the maritime administrator. His 20 years of experience and expertise within the maritime industry has enabled him to develop and help establish legislation, direct policy implementation, and provide oversight of regulatory compliance.
******
Kevin M. Tokarski
Associate Administrator for National Security
Associate Administrator for National Security
