As a result of some scheduling conflicts, we will be postponing the March 16 NMSAC meeting until a later date (probably some time in April).
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Commandant will now take your questions...
From iCommandant, ADM Allen is looking for questions from the industry about Coast Guard-wide issues. Just post a comment to his blog.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Next Public Meeting March 16
The next public meeting for NMSAC has been set for March 16 at 11:00 am (Eastern)
In our next meeting, we'll be discussing the following:
(1) Update on Transportation Workers Identification Credential
(2) Update on Seafarers’ Access to Shore leave
(3) Discussion of USCG 5 year review of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
(4) Briefing and discussion on the Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM)
(5) Discussion of Tiering Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) regulated facilities
Procedural
This meeting is open to the public and will be conducted via an online meeting format. If you would like to participate in this meeting, please log onto https://fedgov.webex.com/fedgov/j.php?ED=87589682&RG=1&UID=0 and follow the online instructions to register for this meeting.
If you would like to make an oral presentation at a meeting, please notify me (ryan.f.owens@uscg.mil) no later than Monday, March 9. Written material for distribution at a meeting should reach the Coast Guard no later than Monday, March 9.
In our next meeting, we'll be discussing the following:
(1) Update on Transportation Workers Identification Credential
(2) Update on Seafarers’ Access to Shore leave
(3) Discussion of USCG 5 year review of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
(4) Briefing and discussion on the Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM)
(5) Discussion of Tiering Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) regulated facilities
Procedural
This meeting is open to the public and will be conducted via an online meeting format. If you would like to participate in this meeting, please log onto https://fedgov.webex.com/fedgov/j.php?ED=87589682&RG=1&UID=0 and follow the online instructions to register for this meeting.
If you would like to make an oral presentation at a meeting, please notify me (ryan.f.owens@uscg.mil) no later than Monday, March 9. Written material for distribution at a meeting should reach the Coast Guard no later than Monday, March 9.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Secretary Chertoff Appoints New Members
On Dec. 31st, Secretary Chertoff re-appointed 3 current members and 4 new members to the Committee:
Re-Appointed:
Ms. Lisa Himber-Ms. Himber is the Vice President of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay. Ms. Himber is charged with effecting policy associated with the achievement of the organization's mission to promote commerce on the Delaware River and Bay. Accordingly, she is directly responsible for the successful identification, implementation, and management of such Maritime Exchange programs as: the port-wide computer and information network; membership recruitment and retention efforts; workshops and seminars; government affairs and public policy; communications and public relations; and organizational administrative policies and procedures. Ms. Himber has been employed with maritime and transportation trade associations for 15 years. Ms. Himber is the current Co-Chair of NMSAC and is the Chair of he committee’s TWIC working Group.
Mr. Bill Eglinton- Mr. Eglinton is the Director of Training, Seafarers International Union (SIU) ofNorth America, AFL CIO. As Director of Training at the Paul Hall Maritime Center, Piney Point, Maryland, Mr. Eglinton is the administrator for all the vocational and academic programs provided by the facility. The SIU represents United States merchant mariners sailing aboard U.S. flag vessels in the deep sea, Great Lakes and inland trades. Mr. Eglinton previously served as chairman of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC). Since 1992, he has been an active meeting participate of the International Maritime Organization.
Mr. Gary Brown- Mr. Brown is a retired Marine Corps Brigadier General with 30 years of service. He has security program management experience with Lockheed Martin’s Technology Services Group; L-3 Communications Security Division; University of South Florida Center for Ocean Technology; and SRI International Marine Technology Program. He is currently the Director of National Center for Maritime and Port Security.
Appointed:
Mr. Lawrence S. Ferreira- Mr. Ferreira is the Director of Security for the Woods hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. He is responsible for year round terminal and vessel security of a fleet of vehicle and passenger ferries that average 2.6 million passengers and 600,000 cars and trucks per year. He is active in the Southeastern New England Area Maritime Security Committee and the Cape Cod and Islands Port Security Forum.
Ms. Bethann Rooney- Ms. Rooney has 17 years of management experience in the maritime industry including nearly six years focused exclusively on port security. She has been a spokesperson on numerous occasions testifying before Congress on port security related legislation and regulations. She is the current Chair of the New York / New Jersey Area Maritime Security Committee and is currently a member on the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC). She is also a past member of the Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (NAVSAC).
Mr. Stuart Theis- Mr. Theis is the Executive Director of the United States Great Lakes Shipping Association. He has over 30 years experience in Great Lakes Shipping including serving as the President of Oglebay Norton Marine Services as well as Corporate Vice President of M.A. Hanna Company’s Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway and Ocean Marine operations.
Mr. Earl R Agron- Mr. Agron offers a combination of executive and operational industry expertise in both the domestic and international maritime security arena. In his current position, he is responsible for vessel security for American President Lines (APL), a key U.S. Flag vessel operator, operating approximately 100 vessels and managing a fleet of 400,000 containers, with services to 25,000 locations in 140 countries. He is a current member of the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC).
Re-Appointed:
Ms. Lisa Himber-Ms. Himber is the Vice President of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay. Ms. Himber is charged with effecting policy associated with the achievement of the organization's mission to promote commerce on the Delaware River and Bay. Accordingly, she is directly responsible for the successful identification, implementation, and management of such Maritime Exchange programs as: the port-wide computer and information network; membership recruitment and retention efforts; workshops and seminars; government affairs and public policy; communications and public relations; and organizational administrative policies and procedures. Ms. Himber has been employed with maritime and transportation trade associations for 15 years. Ms. Himber is the current Co-Chair of NMSAC and is the Chair of he committee’s TWIC working Group.
Mr. Bill Eglinton- Mr. Eglinton is the Director of Training, Seafarers International Union (SIU) ofNorth America, AFL CIO. As Director of Training at the Paul Hall Maritime Center, Piney Point, Maryland, Mr. Eglinton is the administrator for all the vocational and academic programs provided by the facility. The SIU represents United States merchant mariners sailing aboard U.S. flag vessels in the deep sea, Great Lakes and inland trades. Mr. Eglinton previously served as chairman of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC). Since 1992, he has been an active meeting participate of the International Maritime Organization.
Mr. Gary Brown- Mr. Brown is a retired Marine Corps Brigadier General with 30 years of service. He has security program management experience with Lockheed Martin’s Technology Services Group; L-3 Communications Security Division; University of South Florida Center for Ocean Technology; and SRI International Marine Technology Program. He is currently the Director of National Center for Maritime and Port Security.
Appointed:
Mr. Lawrence S. Ferreira- Mr. Ferreira is the Director of Security for the Woods hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. He is responsible for year round terminal and vessel security of a fleet of vehicle and passenger ferries that average 2.6 million passengers and 600,000 cars and trucks per year. He is active in the Southeastern New England Area Maritime Security Committee and the Cape Cod and Islands Port Security Forum.
Ms. Bethann Rooney- Ms. Rooney has 17 years of management experience in the maritime industry including nearly six years focused exclusively on port security. She has been a spokesperson on numerous occasions testifying before Congress on port security related legislation and regulations. She is the current Chair of the New York / New Jersey Area Maritime Security Committee and is currently a member on the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC). She is also a past member of the Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (NAVSAC).
Mr. Stuart Theis- Mr. Theis is the Executive Director of the United States Great Lakes Shipping Association. He has over 30 years experience in Great Lakes Shipping including serving as the President of Oglebay Norton Marine Services as well as Corporate Vice President of M.A. Hanna Company’s Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway and Ocean Marine operations.
Mr. Earl R Agron- Mr. Agron offers a combination of executive and operational industry expertise in both the domestic and international maritime security arena. In his current position, he is responsible for vessel security for American President Lines (APL), a key U.S. Flag vessel operator, operating approximately 100 vessels and managing a fleet of 400,000 containers, with services to 25,000 locations in 140 countries. He is a current member of the Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC).
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Minor Tweak to the Blog
Thanks to John Bennett for pointing out that most of my reference links were broken. I'm not sure why, but Homeport won't let you view the documents unless you're openining them from Homeport. It doesn't make any sense, but I'm too confused to figure it out.
Anyway, I fixed it so that the links will take you the appropriate page to find the information referenced. Please let me know if this isn't the case.
Anyway, I fixed it so that the links will take you the appropriate page to find the information referenced. Please let me know if this isn't the case.
The NMSAC Year in Review
As 2008 draws to a close, I figured I'd give a wrap up of the work the NMSAC accomplished this year.
This year we welcomed 6 new committee members, bringing our total number of committee members to 21! (on a side note, I'm going to start a regular "meet your committee" segment on the blog, so you can get to know who's who).
NMSAC was tasked with several items in 2008 (some of which I've discussed in previous blog entries). The first was an identification of the greatest national maritime security concerns that will be confronting the industry in the next two years. At it’s April meeting, the committee identified 8 issues that they felt were significant to the Maritime Industry, you can read about it here:
The second was an analysis of the Transportation Security User Fee Study requirement identified by Title XIII, Section 1308 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. NMSAC recommended, “…that the Department not consider the development of a new security user fee or a new ‘system of maritime security and transportation-related user fees’”. This information was used to inform the Department as it conducted its User Fee study. You can find the complete report here.
NMSAC was also tasked to develop a working group to examine and quantify the extent to which the issue of seafarer’s access to shore leave is a problem and develop a set of reasonable solutions/recommendations that the Department can use in addressing the issue. You can read that blog post here.
The NMSAC TWIC Working Group submitted a report at the request of TSA and the Coast Guard to provide a “health check” of the TWIC program as it continued its roll out. The report highlighted multiple issues that have either been addressed or are being addressed by TSA and the Coast Guard. You can read about it here. The dialogue between the TWIC working group and the Department will continue as this program matures.
On a final note, As directed by Congress in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, The authorization for NMSAC's existance was set to expire on September 30, 2008. NMSAC Staff worked with Coast Guard Legislative staff to incorporate language into the most recent CG Authorization bill that would reauthorize the committee until 2020. Congressional approval was unable to be secured for the bill (both versions of which had the language re-authorizing the committee). As a result, the CG was forced to restructure the charter of the Committee re-establishing it as a discretionary committee until such time as legislative authorization is secured. The new Charter was signed on September 30, 2008.
So, what's on the agenda for NMSAC in the future? Well, we're still chugging along on this Social Media train. We've got a few plans in the works to include regular podcasts, videos, and guests posts from CG staff and our committee members. I also recently linked up this blog via twitterfeed to my Twitter account to push the word out on the excellent work the committee is doing. If you have any additional suggestions, please let me know, I can always use good ideas!
Have a Great Holidays, everyone! We'll see you in 2009!
This year we welcomed 6 new committee members, bringing our total number of committee members to 21! (on a side note, I'm going to start a regular "meet your committee" segment on the blog, so you can get to know who's who).
NMSAC was tasked with several items in 2008 (some of which I've discussed in previous blog entries). The first was an identification of the greatest national maritime security concerns that will be confronting the industry in the next two years. At it’s April meeting, the committee identified 8 issues that they felt were significant to the Maritime Industry, you can read about it here:
The second was an analysis of the Transportation Security User Fee Study requirement identified by Title XIII, Section 1308 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. NMSAC recommended, “…that the Department not consider the development of a new security user fee or a new ‘system of maritime security and transportation-related user fees’”. This information was used to inform the Department as it conducted its User Fee study. You can find the complete report here.
NMSAC was also tasked to develop a working group to examine and quantify the extent to which the issue of seafarer’s access to shore leave is a problem and develop a set of reasonable solutions/recommendations that the Department can use in addressing the issue. You can read that blog post here.
The NMSAC TWIC Working Group submitted a report at the request of TSA and the Coast Guard to provide a “health check” of the TWIC program as it continued its roll out. The report highlighted multiple issues that have either been addressed or are being addressed by TSA and the Coast Guard. You can read about it here. The dialogue between the TWIC working group and the Department will continue as this program matures.
On a final note, As directed by Congress in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, The authorization for NMSAC's existance was set to expire on September 30, 2008. NMSAC Staff worked with Coast Guard Legislative staff to incorporate language into the most recent CG Authorization bill that would reauthorize the committee until 2020. Congressional approval was unable to be secured for the bill (both versions of which had the language re-authorizing the committee). As a result, the CG was forced to restructure the charter of the Committee re-establishing it as a discretionary committee until such time as legislative authorization is secured. The new Charter was signed on September 30, 2008.
So, what's on the agenda for NMSAC in the future? Well, we're still chugging along on this Social Media train. We've got a few plans in the works to include regular podcasts, videos, and guests posts from CG staff and our committee members. I also recently linked up this blog via twitterfeed to my Twitter account to push the word out on the excellent work the committee is doing. If you have any additional suggestions, please let me know, I can always use good ideas!
Have a Great Holidays, everyone! We'll see you in 2009!
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