SANSAIL CAPITAL - Key Persons
Allen Chin has more than fifty-five years of experience in the marine industry. He is currently the president of George G. Sharp, Inc., which he joined in 1957 as an engineer. He worked his way up the corporate ladder at the company in various positions, such as chief marine engineer, program manager, and corporate secretary, and was elected president in 1983. Mr. Chin has an exceptional background in the marine field, including ship design, ship construction, and merchant ship operation, as well as familiarity with labor situations and problems, and has worked on US naval ship design and construction programs. An active member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Mr. Chin is a member of its Technical and Research Committee, Ships' Machinery Committee, and Scholarships Committee. He is also a member of the ABS Americas Technical Committee. He is a registered professional engineer in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, and holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio University.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor, University of New Orleans
Chris B. McKesson has spent the past thirty years focusing primarily on unconventional projects and programs. During his career as a naval architect, he has held many positions, ranging from managing a small design bureau to representing the United States as technical expert to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He has introduced the state-of-the-art in ship design to staff of the United States Congress, and represented his company before clients, and these clients before their customers. Dr. McKesson has completed several projects dealing with marine environmental issues, including a multiyear study of alternative fuels and alternative propulsion systems for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority, the design of a fuel-cell-powered ferry also for the WTA, and the assessment of environmental impacts of a new ferry class for Washington State Ferries. He is an adjunct professor at the University of New Orleans School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. As a teacher of undergraduate courses in advanced marine vehicle design, he also has access to a large network of highly qualified academic colleagues. The combination of a love of the sea, an appreciation for and understanding of the needs of the seaman, and technical training as a naval architect round out his unique balance of skills.
Job Titles:
- Curriculum Developer
- Life Fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
An experienced project and fleet manager, David R. Rodger has spent the past fifty years in a wide variety of naval architecture and ship construction roles. Career highlights include his time as technical manager at Energy Transportation Corporation, where he was responsible for eight American Flag liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker vessels of 125,000 cubic meter capacity; as assistant vice president, program manager, design manager, manager of level of effort contracts, and change order manager at M. Rosenblatt & Son, Inc.; and as director of Newbuilding, Cranes, and Technical Services at Horizon Lines, where he was responsible for all stability, stowage, and structural issues on a fleet of twenty-one US-flag container ships. He is currently a consultant at Rodger Associates LLC, where he is responsible for updating bilge and ballast diagrams to reflect current on-board conditions on seventeen ships.
Mr. Rodger is a life fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), where he has served in many capacities, including as regional vice president and chairman of the New York and San Diego sections, and was the recipient of SNAME's Distinguished Service Award and Centennial Medallion. He is also a fellow and chairman of the Eastern USA Branch of the Institute of Marine Engineers, a member of the Society of Marine Port Engineers, a member of the American Bureau of Shipping as well as a member of its Technical Committee, and past president of the Webb Alumni Association. Mr. Rodger holds a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute and is a registered professional engineer in New York, New Jersey, and California.
Job Titles:
- Curriculum Developer, Instructor
Dennis Bryant has more than four decades of experience in maritime commerce, regulations, and compliance. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1968, and then served twenty-seven years active duty with the Coast Guard, retiring with the rank of captain in 1995. While on active duty, he made three Arctic patrols on the icebreaker Northwind (and was seconded to the icebreaking tanker Manhattan during its transit of the Northwest Passage in 1969). After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School, he served in a variety of legal capacities, including as the Coast Guard's law of the sea officer. He also served in the Office of International Affairs and negotiated international agreements related to the Coast Guard.
For several years, Mr. Bryant served as the Coast Guard liaison officer to the Admiralty and Shipping Section of the US Department of Justice in San Francisco, where he represented the United States in a variety of lawsuits. For three years, he supervised the largest rule-making project in Coast Guard history to that date: implementation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). This project involved the preparation of regulations related to double hulls for oil tankers, vessel response plans, lightering zones, and approximately forty other rule-making and study projects. The rule-makings required not only detailed knowledge of the previous regulations and the new requirements imposed by law, but also clear understanding of the international requirements, as every effort was made to keep the new regulations consistent with international requirements to the greatest extent possible.
In 1995, Mr. Bryant joined the admiralty law firm of Haight Gardner Poor & Havens. Specializing in governmental regulation of ships, he advised clients worldwide on compliance with international, US, and state laws and regulations impacting vessel operation, including marine safety, maritime security, and pollution prevention. As part of that practice, he published a daily newsletter, Maritime Items, on recent governmental developments impacting the maritime industry. The publication was distributed via email to more than 4,000 readers worldwide.
Mr. Bryant moved into maritime regulatory consulting in 2009, and continues to publish a daily newsletter, which is now posted on his website and distributed via his blog, as well as by email. He writes extensively, speaks at forums worldwide, and is quoted frequently in the trade press. Mr. Bryant also writes a regular column for Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, the world's largest-circulation marine industry publication. His work and writings focus on governmental regulation of the maritime industry.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Marine Engineering, Webb Institute
Edwin G. Wiggins holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in chemical, nuclear, and mechanical engineering, respectively, from Purdue University. He is the Mandell and Lester Rosenblatt Professor of Marine Engineering at Webb Institute. His prior academic experience includes five years as head of the engineering department at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and three years as head of the engineering department at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Before entering academic life, Dr. Wiggins spent thirteen years in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Wiggins is a past chairman of the New York Metropolitan Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and a past regional vice president of SNAME. A Centennial Medallion and a Distinguished Service Award recognize his contributions to the organization. As a representative of SNAME, Dr. Wiggins has served on the Technology Accreditation Commission, the Engineering Accreditation Commission, and the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Curriculum Developer, Instructor
Eric W. Linsner joined International Registries, Inc. (IRI), in 2011 as the company's LNG advisor. Having recently participated in the Marshall Islands IMO delegation-developing the revised IMO Gas Code and the new IGF Code for gas-fueled ships-he provided invaluable guidance on technical and commercial issues related to the LNG vessels in the Marshall Islands Registry.
Mr. Linsner has worked for vessel managers, and brings nearly forty years of LNG design and operational experience to IRI. He was previously senior vice president at PRONAV Ship Management, Inc., where his responsibilities included the management of eight LNG ships under the Marshall Islands flag.
His areas of expertise include policy development, regulatory compliance, and commercial management. Prior to joining PRONAV, Mr. Linsner was a vice president at Energy Transportation Corporation, which previously operated these same vessels under the US flag. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing the company's quality management system, including ISM and ISO certification. He also has experience in P&I claims handling, maritime labor relations, crew training, and logistics in support of the fleet. During his tenure at Energy Transportation Corporation, Mr. Linsner served as the general manager of the Osaka, Japan, branch office, responsible for the maintenance and operations of the vessels. He has experience in new fleet construction supervision, and while on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard, participated in LPG and LNG vessel plan review, LNG containment system approvals, and the development of the US position for the 1973 IMO Gas Code.
Mr. Linsner has participated in various industry associations and advisory groups. His BS degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is from Webb Institute, where he served as a visiting professor. He also holds a master's degree in Engineering Administration from George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Vice President
- Consulting
- VP of Engineering
Ethan Wiseman is a naval architect with an interest in renewable energy and green technologies. Before joining SanSail Group, in 2011, he worked for Thomas Electric Control and Murray & Associates.
Mr. Wiseman is actively involved in advancing alternative fuel technologies in the maritime industry. He has presented the design of a zero-emissions cargo vessel to the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), and recently lectured at Webb Institute on the use of natural gas as a marine fuel.
A member of SNAME, he holds a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute. His undergraduate thesis focused on the design of a marine current turbine as a means of producing electricity. Additionally, he served on board the USNS Concord as an engine cadet in the winter of 2009.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager for Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates
Gary Thompson is a senior project manager for Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC. He has worked in the maritime industry for more than forty-five years, twenty-seven of which were with M. Rosenblatt & Son (MR&S), where he was the Western Division manager. Prior to joining MR&S, he worked in the Design Division of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Mr. Thompson is a past chairman of both the Golden Gate Section of the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Northern California Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and is currently a regional vice president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He holds a BS in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
George O. Williams has more than two decades of experience in capital markets. He was a principal at Andrew Kalotay Associates, a debt-management advisory firm serving corporate and sovereign borrowers; a senior vice president at Lehman Brothers, where he was the firm's quantitative strategist for global fixed-income markets; and director of research at MEK Securities, LLC, an electronic marketplace for fixed-income securities.
Since 2001, Dr. Williams has been on the faculty of Webb Institute, where he currently teaches a senior design elective in sustainable engineering, among other courses. He attended SUNY Albany, where he earned a BS in Physics and Mathematics and a PhD in Theoretical Physics. He is an affiliate member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and a veteran of the US Navy.
Gerhardt Muller was with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for more than twenty-eight years. When he left the organization in 1996, he was responsible for the identification and potential implementation of innovative intermodal systems as well as emerging logistics and transportation technologies and concepts designed to improve regional passenger and freight mobility. Professor Muller joined the faculty of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in February 1997 as associate professor of Intermodal Studies. In 2001, he was promoted to full professor. He retired from the academy at the end of 2008 to pursue other professional and personal opportunities. Until August 2012, he was a senior associate at the academy's Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS), where he developed and participated in advanced educational and training programs as well as courses on advanced intermodal and logistics management concepts and technologies.
From 1976 to 1996, he taught international and domestic transportation at City of New York University-Baruch College and Nassau Community College on Long Island. Lately, he has been active in teaching short and intensive courses in transportation and logistics management at several African, American, European, and Asian universities and organizations, and is currently a visiting professor at the World Maritime University, Sweden, and Shanghai Maritime University, China. Professor Muller recently completed several years as adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center for Energy, Marine Transportation, and Public Policy, where he was part of a team of global experts asked to evaluate what the global maritime industry will be by 2030.
Professor Muller has written or coauthored papers, articles, and books on advanced concepts in intermodalism and logistics management, transportation communication systems and marketing, and coastal and port operations. His book, Intermodal Freight Transportation (1999), which includes four editions to date, sponsored by the Eno Transportation Foundation and the Intermodal Association of North America, is used widely in the United States and abroad as a key reference on intermodalism. He received his bachelor and master of science degrees from New York State Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, and sailed as a licensed officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine for three years.
Joseph H. Comer III has more than thirty-five years of experience in marketing, contracts, personnel, design, and production from a variety of positions he has held in the marine industry. As a principal at Ship Architects, Inc., he represents clients performing a variety of naval architecture, shipbuilding technology, and regulatory interface activities for marine projects. His past projects include leading "change management" processes to implement manufacturing concepts for marine products; initiating technology transfer from a European shipyard to an engineer; planning the construction of a new generation of supply vessels; and acting as an owner's representative during the design and construction of various high-speed, naval, and tanker vessels. He is a fellow member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, where he has been a member of the Ship Machinery Committee since 1991. Mr. Comer holds a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Program Director
- Certified Instructor for FEMA 's Master Exercise Practitioner Program
Kathleen Gleaves has thirteen years of experience in Business Continuity and emergency planning, training, and exercise development in the maritime, aviation, and transportation industries, and has served as the emergency preparedness manager for the Port of Seattle. She currently provides Transportation Recovery training in the Puget Sound region on behalf of the Regional Catastrophic Disaster Plan, and recently completed a Maritime Resilience planning program with the U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada as part of the presidential Beyond the Borders Initiative. She also served as port liaison to the Sector Puget Sound Maritime Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU) in Seattle, Washington.
Based in Seattle, Ms. Gleaves manages the SanSail Institute training program, for which she develops and teaches the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity curriculum. A professional journalist, she is a frequent contributor to several maritime publications and an accomplished photographer.
Ms. Gleaves is a certified instructor for FEMA's Master Exercise Practitioner Program, and is certified to teach Incident Commend System (ICS) through the Center for Domestic Preparedness. She studied Emergency Management at Western Washington University and American Public University. She holds FEMA training certification in Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP).
Job Titles:
- Electrical Engineering Manager
Lou Tur is an electrical engineering manager with more than forty years of experience as a company manager, programmer, and field engineer. He has worked on projects around the world involving support of commercial, U.S. Navy, and military sealift command vessels. His expertise lies in equipment maintenance, development of testing procedures for electronic circuit boards, ladder logic for several major component manufacturers, and assembly language programming. Mr. Tur has designed and installed control systems for marine engines and boilers as well as CCTV systems for several vessels. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and has several certifications in electrical engineering and computer programming.
Job Titles:
- Senior Logistics Analyst, LNGgroup
Matthew P. Tedesco has more than twenty years of experience in the marine industry. Prior to starting his consultancy in 2001, he was a GD-NASSCO employee. He has worked on a number of U.S. Navy programs, including the AOE-6 class, Large Medium Speed Sealift Ro-Ro (LMSR), T-AKE Dry/Cargo Underway Replenishment Program, and Mobile Landing Platform, as well as on commercial vessels, including tankers and Ro-Ros. He was NASSCO's lead for cargo-flow modeling and simulation, the Total Ownership Cost Reduction Program, and the Technology Refresh Program for the T-AKE class. He is often a facilitator and trainer for engineering trade studies, providing economic, modeling, and decision analysis support (specializing in application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process). Dr. Tedesco has led the development of Total Ownership Cost estimates for a variety of naval vessel projects including: Arsenal Ship, T-AKE, Cobra Judy Replacement, JCC(X), LCC(R), Missile Defense, AOE(X), MLP, T-AO(X), and JHSV. He has been involved in numerous studies related to the reduction of TOC. He was a member of the NSRP/ONR Strike-Up/Strike-Down team, exploring shipboard cargo handling science and technology opportunities, where he supported development of requirements and business case analyses, and served as a project technical representative. He has been involved in several projects related to America's Marine Highway Program. He is the developer of the Marine Highways System Evaluation Model, supported by the Center for Commercial Deployment of Transportation Technologies (CCDOTT), and teamed with CDI Marine. Dr. Tedesco is also an affiliate member of Maritime Transport and Logistics Advisors, LLC. With MTLA, he has participated in market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and feasibility studies for new construction and repair facilities. He is a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, where he is the Pacific vice chair of Panel O-36 (Maritime Economics), chair of the MT J
ournal Editorial Board, a former San Diego section officer, and former Kennedy Scholar. He is also a member of ASNE, the U.S. Naval Institute, INFORMS, and ASQ. Dr. Tedesco is president of the Webb Alumni Association and a member of the Webb Board of Trustees. He holds a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute, an SM in Naval Architecture and an SM in Ocean Systems Management from MIT, and and a PhD in Engineering Management from MIT.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Webb Institute
Matthew Werner has seventeen years of engineering, project, and operations management experience and ten years of college-level teaching experience. He is the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at Webb Institute, where he teaches physics, computer programming, economics, engineering mechanics, engineering graphics, submarine design, and vessel commercial management. He is also Webb's principal investigator and liaison for the Naval Engineering Education Consortium (NEEC). Professor Werner has taught courses at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Stevens Institute of Technology, and University of Michigan. As an independent consultant, he provides management, commercial, and technical services, including commercial, operational, safety, quality, regulatory compliance, security, vessel design, and acquisition services. Professor Werner is experienced in vessel and project management from his time with Hiltveit Associates, where he was a member of the management team with full profit and loss responsibility for a fleet of specialized oceangoing chemical tankers, and was a project manager for new vessel acquisition projects. He holds an MBA from Long Island University, an MS in Maritime Technology and Commerce from Webb Institute, and a BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute.
Michael Gaffney is the principle energy management engineer at Alaris Companies. He formed Alaris in large part because of his passion for energy independence and environmental issues. As with all senior engineers in the company, he is an experienced seagoing chief engineer, and has many ships and repair periods under his belt. Mr. Gaffney moved into maritime shipping management and has a great understanding of the financial, regulatory, and performance pressures of the transportation industry. He lectures on Vessel and Marine Terminal Energy Management throughout the United States to promote energy conservation in the maritime industry. Mr. Gaffney holds a BS in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and is a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed chief engineer for motor and gas turbine vessels of any horsepower.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Member of SNAME
- Michael Klein
- VP of Business Development
Michael Klein-Ureña is experienced in environmentally friendly shipping and green technology, and has worked on innovative projects such as an economic optimization of hull cleaning as well as designs of alternative-energy propulsion systems and hull forms. He is a technical reviewer for the Marine Vessel Environmental Performance (MVeP) program, which is sponsored by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).
In addition to his work with Thomas Electric Control and George G. Sharp, Mr. Klein-Ureña has broad maritime experience in ship design and construction at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, and Bath Iron Works. He has also been involved with ship operation on board the USNS Pecos (T-AO 197), environmental engineering at BMT Designers & Planners, and ship classification at the American Bureau of Shipping.
Since 2006, Mr. Klein-Ureña has been a member of SNAME, where he has served on committees for environmental engineering, marine forensics, quality culture, and student leadership. He mentors SNAME rising student leaders, and has held several leadership positions at Webb Institute. He earned his BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute.
Job Titles:
- Director of Customer Relations
RADM Bob Olsen, USCG (ret.), is a seasoned maritime professional and leader with forty-four years of experience. He has extensive command experience at sea, in maritime operations as well as in senior leadership positions in and out of the Coast Guard. He is also an educator with sixteen years in marine-related higher education and training leadership positions, both as superintendent at the Coast Guard Academy and as president of Webb Institute.
He earned a BS in Naval Engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy, an MS in Management from the US Navy Postgraduate School, and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is a member of the American Bureau of Shipping and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Engineering ( Ret ), Staten Island Ferry
Ralph McKenzie has more than thirty years of experience in the marine industry. As the director of ferry maintenance and repairs for the Staten Island Ferry, he was responsible for project management, vendor relations, electrical and structural repairs, and engineering analysis. He is a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed chief marine engineer and was a chief marine engineer and a chief port marine engineer with the Staten Island Ferry. Mr. McKenzie is currently the president of operations at Ranath Marine Consultants, where he advises vessel owners and authorities such as the U.S. Coast Guard on vessel repair, modifications, cost estimation, and labor efficiency. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Ron Nance brings to the table more than forty years of experience in engineering and control system design, and has worked with many companies and organizations, including the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, Transocean Drilling, and Evans-Hamilton, Inc. He is vice president and general manager of automation at M&I Electric Industries, an AETI company, where he is responsible for the engineering, design, and manufacturing of automation systems used in marine applications. Mr. Nance's most recent projects include the design, manufacturing, and commissioning of the DrillAssist™ Drawworks control system for land-based drilling rigs. (There are currently eight systems in operation worldwide.) He is also responsible for the design of classified safety and security alarm systems for the U.S. Navy. As an independent technical consultant from 1979 to 1996, his projects included software and hardware development for ROV control systems, the design of oceanographic and meteorological data collection systems for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a ship motion study for Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor. Mr. Nance studied at the University of Houston and John F. Kennedy University, and is experienced in several programming languages.
Job Titles:
- Electrical Engineer
- President
- Manager of Electrical Systems Manager of Shipyard and Commissioning Teams
Stephen Wright is an electrical engineer. From 2005 to 2006, he headed a team implementing a computerized maintenance management system for NYC DOT ferries. He has worked with George G. Sharp, Inc., since the City of New York hired him as a consultant in 1998 for the design of the Molinari-Class of Staten Island Ferries. Mr. Wright is the former electrical superintendent (1989-97) of Weeks Marine, Inc., where he was responsible for the electrical systems of more than four hundred vessels and three repair yards in Jersey City and Camden, New Jersey, and in Houma, Louisiana. Prior to joining the marine business at Weeks, he worked with automated and robotic production equipment at Goodyear Tire and Rubber (1983-89) in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he began his electrical apprenticeship on diesel-electric locomotives in 1975. He relocated to Cicero, Illinois, in 1977, as a Federal Railway Administration electrical inspector at the Burlington Northern Diesel Shop and Roundhouse.
Mr. Wright attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and received his Master Electricians license from the State of Nebraska in 1984. He is past president of the New York Metropolitan Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, where he now serves on the Annual Meeting and Symposium Committee. He is also a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science, and Technology (IMarEST); the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA); and the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). Mr. Wright annually judges the Capstone student design projects at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and regularly mentors students from Webb Institute.
William Wood is responsible for the conduct and management of Seaworthy Systems' naval architecture, ship design, structural design, vibration and noise analysis, and machinery and equipment forensic analysis programs. He is actively involved in the engineering of all such projects as well as the management and marketing of Seaworthy's services. He has served in various engineering and design capacities, including as chief naval architect at Seaworthy as well as at a major shipyard and an applied research firm. He is a recognized industry expert in the areas of structural design, finite element analysis, propeller/engine-induced structural vibration and noise analysis, ship collision and grounding analysis, structural and machinery damage assessment, shipbuilding methods, and cargo handling. Mr. Wood has been actively involved in the design and construction of more than sixty ships, boats, barges, tugs, and other floating structures during his career, and has authored numerous papers on these topics. An active member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) since 1966, he is past chairman of Technical & Research Panel HS-7, Vibration, and the Baltimore Section of SNAME