WASHINGTON – On January 12, 2025, Maritime Administrator Ann C. Phillips, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), departed the Maritime Administration (MARAD). Phillips, who was sworn in as MARAD’s 20th Administrator on May 16, 2022, guided a team of nearly 900 professionals, orchestrating 33 wide-ranging responsibilities that provide critical infrastructure and support for the nation’s commercial and military maritime sectors.  

In addition to prioritizing safety at sea for mariner cadets and addressing quality of life and recruitment and retention challenges for all mariners, she worked to expand facilities and capital improvement funding and capacity at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), grew the U.S. Flag Fleet and upheld the Jones Act, acquired vessels to modernize the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) in support of National Security, and oversaw historic grants to ports and small shipyards made possible by the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“It has been the honor of my life to represent and advocate for the vital work MARAD performs to strengthen our national defense and our economic competitiveness,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “MARAD’s work to foster, promote, and develop the maritime sector is essential to our Nation’s success—and I know the extraordinary professionals who work on behalf of MARAD and with U.S. Flag Carriers, operators, maritime labor, and the entire maritime industry will continue to meet the sector’s evolving challenges with their unmatched expertise and professionalism, as they always have.”

One of the highlights of Administrator Phillips’ tenure includes creation and implementation of Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Program, codified into law in 2023. This program sets standards to help prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment on U.S. Flag vessels that are required by law to carry USMMA cadets.  Since the program’s introduction, 22 U.S.-Flag commercial carriers have adopted these standards—including 16 carriers and operators required to do so by law as well as six additional carriers that have voluntarily enrolled.  EMBARC is driving a culture of safety, dignity, and respect across the industry. 

During her tenure, Administrator Phillips also worked to address long-standing challenges at the USMMA, including those enumerated by the National Academy of Public Administration’s (NAPA) Organizational Assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: A Path Forward.  As recommended by NAPA, she stood up the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Advisory Council, created and staffed a new facilities directorate, and worked to build capacity across the Academy’s campus.  In recent years, Congress has appropriated more than $200 million in funding to address decades of deferred maintenance and infrastructure improvement needs at the USMMA. This funding will enable enhancement of USMMA’s facilities to ensure it continues to provide world-class training to prepare the next generations of licensed merchant mariners who will serve our Nation. 

Administrator Phillips also oversaw the release of the Mariner Workforce Strategic Plan for the Years 2023-2027, a first-of-its-kind strategy focused on strengthening the recruitment, training, and retention of merchant mariners, including by eliminating long-standing barriers to recruitment.  Phillips also expanded the designation of community and technical colleges and non-profit training centers under the Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education Program, recognizing institutions that collectively matriculate more than 21,000 students annually with the certifications and credentials they need to enter and progress in the maritime industry. 

Administrator Phillips was also responsible for MARAD’s new ship construction program building the National Security Multi-mission Vessel (NSMV).  During her tenure, she took delivery of EMPIRE STATE (NSMV 1) in 2023 for service with the State University of New York Maritime College and PATRIOT STATE (NSMV 2) in 2024 for service with the Massachusetts Maritime College.  Accommodating up to 600 cadets plus crew, these are the first-ever purpose-built mariner training vessels in the nation’s history and will also provide a substantial maritime platform to support federal humanitarian assistance and disaster response.  

In addition to overseeing activations of RRF ships for multiple national missions involving the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and other strategic priorities, she oversaw MARAD’s work sustaining and growing the U.S. Flag Fleet and providing critical sealift capabilities through the Maritime Security Program, new Tanker Security Program, and the Cable Security Fleet. Together, these programs reduced the overall age of the commercial fleet, brought new tanker capacity into the U.S Flag Fleet, and provided a unique cable repair capability to the nation—all while sustaining good-paying, union mariner jobs.  

Working closely with leaders in Department of Defense, ocean carriers, and maritime labor, she also helped navigate the urgent challenges of contested environments in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Mediterranean Sea—ensuring prioritization of U.S Flag Fleet capabilities and U.S. mariner safety.

Administrator Phillips also oversaw the award of more than $2 billion in grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and appropriated funding, including grants awarded through the Port Infrastructure Development Program, the United States Marine Highway Program, and the Small Shipyard Grant Program, during her tenure.  In addition, MARAD administered $1.8 billion in port infrastructure investments through the Department of Transportation’s discretionary grant programs.

Administrator Phillips’ time at MARAD also focused heavily on supporting development of the forthcoming National Maritime Strategy, and under her direction, MARAD joined the National Academies of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board and stood up the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation.  She also advanced development and pilot testing of a first-ever near miss reporting system for the maritime industry, the Safe Maritime Transportation System (SafeMTS). 

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, MARAD’s work across the full range of its statutory missions has helped fuel extraordinary momentum in the maritime industry,” said Administrator Phillips. “I know this industry that will continue to deliver for our Nation, whenever and wherever they are needed.”

Mr. Charles Makings, Deputy Maritime Administrator, will assume duties as Acting Maritime Administrator.