Richard A. Balzano ’89

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director | Dredging Contractors of America | Deputy Administrator | Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation | Captain | USN (Ret.)

Education:

• B.S., Maine Maritime Academy, Marine Engineering, 1989
• M.S., Johns Hopkins University, Environmental Science, 1998

Career Highlights:

Co-Founder and President, 19 Degrees North, LLC (2012 – present)

• Specialized consulting company offering quality maritime focused services

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Dredging Contractors of America, (2020-22)

• A national trade association whose members are leading providers of dredging and marine construction services for navigation, coastal protection, environmental restoration and shoreline resilience in the U.S.

Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (2017-20)

• Appointed by President Donald Trump
• managed $1.4 billion+ budget, oversaw over 800 employees in multiple field offices across the US
• DOT received funding for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, a class of five ships to train mariners and respond to natural and other disasters for the nation.

Captain, US Navy, retired (1989-2018)

• Commands included: Sustainment Strategy Lead, Joint Program Office, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, Washington, DC | J-3 Operations Liaison to NATO, US Central Command, Operation Resolute Support, Kabul, Afghanistan | Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L (OSBP)) Pentagon, Washington, DC | Liaison to the Sultanate of Oman, Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command, Muscat, Oman | Platform Commander, Al Basra Oil Terminal, Al Basra, Iraq | Global War on Terrorism Action Officer, Commander, Naval Installations Command, Washington, DC | Commanding Officer, Strategic Sealift Unit Mid-Atlantic, Washington, DC

Outstanding Accomplishments:

• As Deputy Administrator, the future U.S. merchant mariners will benefit from his efforts and contributions to maritime training, in general, and MMA, in particular. He established/chaired an Executive Steering Group (ESG) to find savings and coordinate efforts across the government. ESG turned to commercial sector, worked with Congress, directing MARAD to procure the NSMV ships using commercial methods. Philadelphia Shipyard was selected to construct five NSMVs at a fixed price and delivery contract of $323M per ship, nearly two-thirds less than government estimates. This made the initiative feasible and was unprecedented in federal shipbuilding programs.
• He was the US Navy’s first ever Heavy Lift Project Officer, in response to the requirement to heavy lift damaged assets much like the operation performed on the USS Cole. Since 2005, he has conducted a number of heavy lift operations worldwide.