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Maine Maritime Academy Hires Captain John Cashman as Commandant of Midshipmen

Posted on: September 5, 2019

CASTINE, Maine—William J. Brennan, President of Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), has announced that the college has hired Captain John Cashman to serve as Commandant of Midshipmen. Captain Cashman relieved Captain Nathan Gandy in a Change of Command Ceremony on August 26, 2019. Gandy has been promoted to the position of Dean of Maritime Training.

Cashman’s career includes experience as a U.S. Coast Guard officer and trial attorney. John recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after serving 20 years leading domestic law enforcement missions, search and rescue teams, and advising on military, operational, and administrative law issues. Most recently, he served as a prosecutor for the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section. During his tenure, he also served at sea in various capacities aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutters.

“We are fortunate to have such a well-qualified and dedicated person to fill this role,” said President Brennan. “It is a critical leadership position, providing consistent guidance for two-thirds of our student population both on campus and when they are on the Training Ship State of Maine.”

“For me, this is a calling,” said John. “I’ve always loved being at sea, and I hope to foster that interest here. I also want to help students achieve their potential through self-discipline, personal growth, professional development, teamwork, strength of character, and social responsibility, all of which we cultivate through the regimental program.”

The responsibilities of a maritime academy commandant of midshipmen parallel those of a dean of students, however, the position also oversees the code of federal regulations governing academy training. Those regulations require students pursuing an unlimited U.S. Coast Guard license to complete a structured learning experience. An emblematic representation of the structured Regiment of Midshipmen at MMA is the uniform, which is required by mandate of the United States government. The uniform is sometimes mistaken as a military one, but there is no military obligation after graduation. The regimental program is designed to prepare students for the unique challenges of life aboard ships.

John received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended U.S. Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in New London, Connecticut after earning a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.

Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college on the coast of Maine offering programs of study in engineering, management, science, and transportation. The college serves approximately 950 undergraduate and graduate students in career-oriented degree programs. The job placement rate for MMA graduates regularly exceeds 90 percent within 90 days of graduation and the college is consistently recognized for providing a high-value education by organizations such as the Brookings Institution, Washington Monthly, and U.S. News and World Report.