{"id":13864,"date":"2025-03-19T14:11:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T18:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/about-mma\/?p=13864"},"modified":"2025-03-19T14:37:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T18:37:09","slug":"maine-maritime-academy-announces-selection-of-craig-johnson-as-16th-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/about-mma\/press-releases\/maine-maritime-academy-announces-selection-of-craig-johnson-as-16th-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Maine Maritime Academy Announces Selection of Craig Johnson as 16th President"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Interim President and Chief Operating Officer Selected by Board of Trustees following National Search<\/em><\/p>\n

Castine, ME, Wednesday March 19, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 Today, the Board of Trustees of Maine Maritime Academy announced the appointment of Craig Johnson \u201991 of Castine, Maine as its 16th President following a formal search which launched last fall. Mr. Johnson has served as the Academy\u2019s Chief Operating Officer since August of 2022, and Interim President since June 2024.<\/p>\n

Maine Maritime Academy Board Chairman Wayne Norton, \u201986 said, \u201cIt is my pleasure to announce that following a thorough search, we have selected Craig Johnson to lead Maine Maritime Academy. As COO and Interim President, Craig has demonstrated stalwart leadership across the budgetary and strategic fronts making solid inroads for the Academy throughout the maritime sector. He is well respected by faculty, staff and students alike. Craig has a steady hand and the vision to position MMA for the pivotal moments ahead in the maritime industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Craig

Craig Johnson ’91
President<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI am honored by this appointment as permanent President of Maine Maritime Academy. The maritime industry is on the precipice of incredible growth, and it has been a career highlight to serve MMA as COO and Interim President as we create a roadmap that will ensure the Academy\u2019s strength and sustainability in a thriving industry for decades to come.\u201d President-Select Johnson continued, \u201cOn a personal note as an alum whose life trajectory was altered by attending the Academy, I am deeply moved by the young men and women who chose a career in the maritime world. Together with the deeply passionate faculty and staff and alumni, it is a point of pride that we are creating an environment that will lead them to future personal and professional successes.\u201d<\/p>\n

During Johnson\u2019s tenure as COO and Interim President, he has initiated strategic external partnerships for the Academy with Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and been reappointed to the US Department of Transportation Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee. He is orchestrating and overseeing the largest capital improvement projects in the school\u2019s history with the expansion and renovation of its waterfront and updates to Curtis Hall the state\u2019s largest campus residential structure. Craig\u2019s arrival at the Academy in 2022 followed three decades of maritime industry work for companies such SEACOR Holdings, XL North and was a founding partner in Flagship Management, an international maritime search and consulting firm. Craig held a USCG First Assistant Engineer and Third Assistant Engineer license.<\/p>\n

This announcement comes at a crucial time for the Academy as it prepares to welcome the $300 million National Security Multi-Mission Vessel T\/S STATE OF MAINE later this fall. This new training vessel, the third of its kind to be issued to a state maritime academy will revolutionize the training of mariners. The vessel is commissioned and owned by the US Department of Transportation\u2019s Marine Division.<\/p>\n

S. Catherine Longley, Trustee and Chair of the Search Committee added, \u201cThe search committee fielded more than 90 applicants from across the globe. It was a highly competitive and thorough process, and I am pleased to announce the committee unanimously recommended Mr. Johnson to the Board of Trustees to serve as the Academy\u2019s next president. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to all who participated in this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The search, which was announced by the Board of Trustees in July of 2024, and launched in full in September was aided by search firm RPA, Inc and a Search Committee chaired by Trustee Longley and included Board Chair Norton, other trustees, and representation from faculty, staff, alumni and student bodies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Interim President and Chief Operating Officer Selected by Board of Trustees following National Search Castine, ME, Wednesday March 19, 2025 \u2013 Today, the Board of Trustees of Maine Maritime Academy announced the appointment of Craig Johnson \u201991 of Castine, Maine as its 16th President following a formal search which launched last fall. Mr. Johnson […]<\/p>\n Read More...<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases"],"yoast_head":"\r\nMaine Maritime Academy Announces Selection of Craig Johnson as 16th President - About MMA<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/about-mma\/press-releases\/maine-maritime-academy-announces-selection-of-craig-johnson-as-16th-president\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maine Maritime Academy Announces Selection of Craig Johnson as 16th President - About MMA\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former Interim President and Chief Operating Officer Selected by Board of Trustees following National Search Castine, ME, Wednesday March 19, 2025 \u2013 Today, the Board of Trustees of Maine Maritime Academy announced the appointment of Craig Johnson \u201991 of Castine, Maine as its 16th President following a formal search which launched last fall. 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