The North Atlantic Gateway region encompasses the Northeastern United States and includes all or a portion of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

This region includes over a dozen port authorities, with 19 commercial deep-water and river ports and all the waterways, intermodal connections, and corridors in the region. The Gateway Director helps to develop projects in the region that promote overall economic growth, mitigate highway and port congestion, environmental compliance, and support both large and small American shipbuilding companies. The Director also engages with other local, state, and federal agencies on a wide range of issues, including emergency management, dredging, ocean planning, and maritime safety and security, working to monitor the commercial maritime activity in the region, as well as in the provinces of Eastern Canada to include Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The North Atlantic Gateway Director serves as an expert on all regional and local maritime issues, including the intermodal and dry bulk sectors, disaster response and recovery, infrastructure investment and finance, port infrastructure development, marine highways, and the maritime role in the emerging Offshore Wind industry. In addition to coordinating with the private sector, the Gateway Director also serves as the Agency liaison to regional federal, state, and local government agencies.