New NMSAC Officers selected

A new Chairman and Vice Chairman have been selected to lead the national committee that advises the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on maritime security matters. Capt. Jeffrey Monroe, a transportation and maritime professional with HDR Engineering and Capt. Ron Branch of the Mississippi River Maritime Association were selected as the new Chairman and Vice Chairman of the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) respectively. The committee is comprised of 22 members representing all segments of the industry.and provides advice to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on matters such as national security strategy and policy, actions required to meet current and future security threats, international cooperation on security issues, and security concerns of the maritime transportation industry. The committee addresses such issues as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, Port Security Grants, security regulations, and facility security planning and threat assessment policies. The committee also works with representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FEMA and the Transportation Security Administration as well as other federal agencies.


The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) was established under authority of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-295), and operates in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. 2). The committee met in Washington, D.C. on July 20th.