Speakers
Brian Murray, Fleet Port Captain, TOTE Services
Brian started his career in the Maritime Industry by graduating from SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Environmental Science and a USCG Third Mate license. He went on to sail as Environmental Officer and Chief Deck Officer- Environmental in the Cruise Line industry before transitioning to cargo vessels and subsea construction where he sailed as Master Unlimited for several years.
Utilizing his background in Environmental Management and time as Master, he transferred into a shoreside role to spend more time with his growing family. Brian, his wife, and two daughters currently live in the Jacksonville, FL area where Brian is an integral part of the Safety Department within TOTE Services. His duties include overseeing the safe operation of the Company’s vessels and acting as the environmental subject matter expert on all maritime regulatory requirements. One of the highlights of his career has been developing the Safety Management System, alongside MARAD and SUNY Maritime, for the new fleet of Training Vessels. The five ships will provide a safe and cutting-edge training platform for the next generation of seafarers in this country.
He is honored to be accepting the 2023 NAMEPA Environmental Award for Industry on behalf of TOTE Services for the amazing work the company has done, and continues to do, to protect the marine environment for generations to come.
CAPT Dan Cost, P.E. Chief, Office of Design and Engineering Standards, USCG
Captain Dan Cost, currently the Chief of the Office of Design and Engineering Standards for the Coast Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, has over 20 years of operational and technical experience with the Coast Guard. His responsibilities include the development of U.S. national maritime safety and security standards for the commercial shipping industry. He also serves as the U.S. Head of Delegation for the International Maritime Organization’s Ship Design and Construction Subcommittee, overseeing U.S. initiatives in the development of international standards. Captain Cost has in depth knowledge of shipping regulations, including vessel design and oeprations and has held various leadership positions with the Coast Guard, most recently as Executive Officer of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center. He is a 2005 graduate of the University of Michigan with Master of Science in Engineering degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering and is a 1999 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia.
Cynthia Hudson, CEO, HudsonAnalytix
Cynthia A. Hudson is CEO and founder of HudsonAnalytix, Inc., a global maritime risk consultancy serving the maritime transportation sector, headquartered in the Philadelphia region in the United States, and with offices across the United States and in Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom. She is a forward-thinking leader in the industry, providing leadership on risk management challenges within the maritime transportation sector including cyber security risk management for shipping, ports, and terminals.
In 1986, Ms. Hudson founded what became HudsonAnalytix to provide emergency response, maritime project management, and maritime consulting services to maritime transportation interests; oil and energy, vessel owners/operators and insurers for more than 100 oil and hazardous material response incidents. Ms. Hudson led the firm into maritime security for ports and vessels, providing port vulnerability security assessment work at hundreds of ports and facilities worldwide. In 2016, she expanded the HudsonAnalytix cyber security initiative to design and deliver cybersecurity and cyber risk management solutions to maritime clients and provide cybersecurity expertise to governmental agencies. She has created and spearheaded projects such as CyberLogix and PortLogix, both of which are tools providing tailored cyber threat intelligence to senior port and shipping executives around the world.
Throughout the maritime transportation industry, she is well-known and highly regarded for her work and contributions in her field. In 2016, Ms. Hudson was honored by the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Ports with the Maritime Award of the Americas: Outstanding Women in the Maritime and Port Sector. Ms. Hudson serves on a number of Industry Boards such as the American Caribbean Maritime Association and the Maritime Academy High School in Philadelphia. She is President of WISTA Delaware River & Bay Chapter and a Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA). She has been a speaker, panelist, and moderator at conferences across the globe.
Doug Martin, President and General Manager, Smit Salvage Americas and Chairman, OPA 90 Forum
Captain Douglas Martin began his sea going career sailing for Apex Marine after graduating from SUNY Maritime College, New York in 1983 with a BE in Electrical Engineering degree and 3rd mate deck license. After 14 years sailing he joined SMIT Salvage in 1997 to continue his maritime career in marine salvage.
As a SMIT resident Salvage Master for North and South Americas since 1997, Captain Martin has been responsible for numerous complex and simple salvages throughout the region and around the world.
He now holds the position of President and General Manager for SMIT Salvage Americas, President Boskalis Holding USA, Chairman of the OPA90 FORUM and volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors of NAMEPA.
Jan Hagen Andersen, Business Development Director, DNV Maritime
Mr. Andersen has over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry with a focus on propulsion systems and machinery. He has a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and started his career at a marine engineering and service company in Seattle. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and Washington State.
In 2005, he joined DNV in the Machinery Section of the Maritime Technical Advisory Group based in Norway. The Advisory group provides consultancy and non-class support services to ship owners, ship yards, manufacturers, designers and other stakeholders. In 2010 he moved to the DNV office in Houston, Texas and is currently a Business Development Director for DNV GL Maritime, Region Americas. In this role, he is focusing on alternative fuels, environmental compliance, energy efficiency, and novel technologies in shipping.
He is a member of the SNAME M-16 Panel on Propulsion Shafting and is on the North America Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) Board of Directors.
Jan-Willem van den Dijssel, Americas Lead at Cargill Inc. Ocean Transportation
Jan-Willem van den Dijssel is an accomplished business leader with over 25 years’ experience in the grain and maritime trading industry. In his current role, Jan-Willem is responsible for Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business across the Americas.
Jan-Willem joined Cargill in 1996 as a grain trader in Chile. He successfully held grain trading roles in Cargill’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis and in Miami. In 2004, Jan-Willem moved to the Panamax desk of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business in Geneva, Switzerland before he became manager of the Americas Handy desk.
In 2011, Jan-Willem joined the New Jersey office as Americas Commercial Manager and was promoted to his current role of Americas Lead in 2014. He moved the Ocean Transportation team to Miami in 2021.
Jan-Willem studied Finance and Accounting at Glasgow University and graduated with an MSc in Business and Commerce degree from Groningen University in the Netherlands.
In January 2018, Jan-Willem was named as Cargill’s board representative of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association. He arranged Cargill’s lead sponsorship and completed all 6 Seamen’s Church Institute Mountain Challenge events in support of mariners.
Joe Hughes, Chairman of Shipowners Claims Bureau (SCB), Chairman of NAMEPA and INTERMEPA
Joe has served as chairman of the managers of the American Club, an International Group mutual, for more than twenty-eight years. Joe also oversees the activities of Eagle Ocean Agencies, Inc., an affiliate of SCB, which operates the Eagle Ocean Marine and Eagle Ocean America insurance facilities. In addition, he is a director both the American Club itself and its European subsidiary based Cyprus. In addition to his chairmanship of NAMEPA, Joe is president of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, a director of NYMAR and also sits on committees of the American Bureau of Shipping and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping.
Kai Martin, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Pasha Group
Mr. Martin has over 30 years’ experience in the maritime industry. Joining The Pasha Group in 2011, he leads Pasha’s ESG Environmental Sustainability, Energy Management, Quality, Security, and Business Resiliency programs. Prior to his current role, he managed the Pasha Center of Excellence, Shared Service Centers, PMO, and Business Process Management teams with Pasha.
Prior to The Pasha Group, he served in Iraq as a U.S. Naval Officer and continues to serve as a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Mr. Martin’s earlier experience included extensive Marine Port and Intermodal operations managing terminals with deep experience with all cargo types. Later he managed the PMO and led Programs for advanced automation, terminal improvement, and greenfield projects. Mr. Martin specialized in deploying new operating systems as well as port facility planning, design, operational and system analysis, labor relations, program management. He is a founding developer of the international Container Terminal Quality Indicator CTQI standard and co-inventor for an automated marine container patent. He holds an MBA-Global Management from American Military University, BS-Marine Transportation from the California Maritime Academy as well as multiple Project Management, Security, Emergency Response, Quality, and Environment certifications.
Mr. Martin was appointed by NOAA to the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council in 2018 where he currently serves as Chair, Measurement and Operational Efficiency Workstream Lead for the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, Hawaii Energy Policy Forum Member, American Association Port Authorities Environment Committee Member, and serves on various non-profit Boards and Community environmental organizations.
Molly Dushay, Director, Maritime Primary and Secondary Education Coaltion (MPSEC), Education and Outreach Director, NAMEPA
Equipped with her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Art degree in Teaching from Sacred Heart University, Molly has established herself as a dedicated science educator. Molly’s deep-rooted passion for marine and environmental science was sparked in her youth growing up on Long Island Sound. In her role as MPSEC Director, she leads the strategic efforts to promote maritime education in our nation’s primary and secondary schools through partnerships and resource sharing.
As the Education & Outreach Director for the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), Molly spearheads NAMEPA’s education and outreach initiatives around public and student environmental stewardship and marine environmental awareness for maritime personnel. With a primary focus on developing and implementing comprehensive programs, she engages participants on mission-driven initiatives, grant-based projects, and informative programs in collaboration with diverse audiences including the public, students, and both shoreside and offshore maritime personnel.
Molly is also a secondary science teacher and Adjunct Professor at Sacred Heart University.
Priscilla Figueroa, Principal, New York Harbor Middle School
RADM Francis "Stash" Pelkowski, Global Business and Transportation Professor, SUNY Maritime College
RADM Michael Alfultis, PhD., President, SUNY Maritime College
Dr. Michael A. Alfultis was named the 11th President of Maritime College by the SUNY Board of Trustees in June 2014 and appointed a Rear Admiral U.S. Maritime Service by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration.
A retired U.S. Coast Guard captain with 28 years of service, Dr. Alfultis taught at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and subsequently served as the director and chief administrative officer of the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus.
Dr. Alfultis has more than 20 years of undergraduate teaching experience and 13 years of academic administrative responsibility at military and civilian institutions of higher education. His background includes service as an operations officer and navigator on a Coast Guard cutter; maritime safety and security; Coast Guard Academy faculty member and academic department chair; and senior administrator at a flagship university.
Dr. Alfultis graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1982 with a degree in Marine Science. He has a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island, both in Oceanography.
Rick Sasso, President & CEO, MSC Cruises
Richard E. Sasso, Chairman of MSC Cruises (USA), has been a popular and well-respected figure in the cruise industry for 50 years and involved in the travel industry even longer. After holding key positions at Costa Cruises and Chandris Cruises, Sasso joined the senior management team that launched Celebrity Cruises in 1990. He served as president of that line from 1995 to 2001 and was instrumental in establishing it as a top premium cruise line. Sasso was named president and chief executive officer of MSC Cruises USA in April 2004, where he was charged with establishing a strong position for MSC Cruises in the North American market. In his current role as chairman, he continues to drive MSC Cruises’ ambitious growth plans in the region while also serving as the MSC Foundation’s North American Ambassador.