Associate Administrator for Environment and Compliance
Maritime Administration/MARAD
U.S. Department of Transportation

Michael Carter is the Associate Administrator for Environment and Compliance at the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD). In this role, he provides oversight to the Office of Environment, Office of Safety and the Office of Maritime Security.  

For the last 24 years, Mr. Carter also continues to serve as the Director of the Office of Environment, providing leadership for the Agency’s environmental compliance responsibilities, shaping MARAD’s program to assist maritime transportation stakeholders in addressing key environmental challenges and support maritime transportation innovation. Mr. Carter is responsible for implementing the Agency’s Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) Program, which focuses on collaborative research and technology testing, evaluation, and demonstration specific to addressing the unique characteristic of maritime operations.  

He and his staff maintain a strong international presence on these same issues serving in various capacities on the US Delegation to the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). 

Before joining the Maritime Administration in August 1995, Mr. Carter was in a private environmental law practice. He received his law degree from Catholic University in 1985 and his undergraduate degree in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1982.