Maine Maritime Academy has a history of weathering storms and change with ease. As an institution built out of necessity during World War II, we are no stranger to leadership in times of change. Today is no different as we remain steadfastly committed to achieving the Academy’s strategic goals in a year marked with opportunity and transformation. Our leadership team has set out to ensure that progress toward accomplishing our objectives is prioritized, while the quality of our students’ education is not compromised.
The Academy is currently engaged in the construction of the largest infrastructure project in the institution’s history: the new pier that will berth the NSMV III, T/S State of Maine V. Although MARAD has provided 90% of the financing for the $90m project, the Academy has overseen the planning, permitting (local, state, and federal), design, construction, and building processes, which began in July.
I am pleased with the progress of the waterfront renovation and the team we have assembled including the engineering firm GZA, our contractors Reed & Reed, and Colliers as owners’ representatives. The process of driving and rock socketing the 354 piles into the bedrock for the new pier, mooring dolphins, new east and west dock systems, and floating breakwater began in November and continues through Q3 of 2026. We recently had a successful visit by MARAD representatives who observed first-hand the extraordinary progress we have made in an astonishingly short period of time.
The new pier will drastically improve the waterfront campus infrastructure, which is among the Academy’s greatest strengths, as demand for mariners continues to increase globally. It is also necessary to accommodate the $320m NSMV III, financed by the federal government, which is expected to be finished in the summer of 2025.
We remain steadfastly committed to achieving the Academy’s strategic goals in a year marked with opportunity and transformation.
The NSMV III will revolutionize the Academy’s at-sea curricula, bringing the training for our mariners into the digital age to match the changes in our industry. With dedicated training spaces, a second bridge, two engine rooms, modern systems/equipment, and the capacity to accommodate more students, we are able to completely re-think our at-sea training programs. We thank Captain MacArthur, Chief Engineer Aaron Coy, and our faculty for their work preparing for the new vessel.
With an eye always toward growing our reach and evolving our business model, the Academy hosted a successful intensive training over the summer in collaboration with Orbis, Inc. and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard called the Naval Shipyard Institute, a program funded by the US Navy to build the capacity of their Submarine Industrial Base. Students learned welding, machining, and marine electrical from curricula developed by MMA instructors in collaboration with the Navy according to their workforce priorities. To learn more about the Naval Shipyard Institute, please see the article on page 26. Maine Maritime Academy looks forward to building on its relationships with the Navy, the Maine Defense Industry Alliance, Orbis Inc., Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Bath Iron Works, and others to address the shortage in skilled industrial labor associated with the maritime sector.
Together with Bath Iron Works, we recently opened a 50,000 square foot building in Brunswick, Maine to support our Workforce Development Program. We currently offer associate degree programs and will add a bachelor’s option by the fall of 2025. MMA is now more than ever, a state and national strategic asset in the Maritime and Department of Defense communities. As such, I remain committed to continuing to make the case to the state that investing in the education of students at Maine Maritime Academy is in all our best interests.
This past October, I was asked to serve on the Board of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU). This body is critical to the presence of the Academy on the world stage, and to advocating for the industry’s strength and continued growth. Our involvement with the international community is critical to making sure that Maine Maritime Academy is delivering a curriculum that is driven by continual collaboration with the global maritime industry.
Finally, I would like to congratulate the crew of the Bowdoin, led by Captain Alex Peacock, on a historic return to the Arctic for the first time in 16 years. The Bowdoin is the flagship of the Academy’s sailing fleet, and we are proud to continue her legacy of Arctic exploration.
Sincerely,
Craig Johnson ’91