DeputyAdminBioPic

Michael J. Rodriguez

Deputy Administrator

Michael J. Rodriguez was sworn in as Deputy Maritime Administrator on October 20, 2014. Coming to MARAD most recently from active duty with the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office, he brings over 35 years of public and private maritime industry experience.

A 1979 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Rodriguez sailed for 17 years as a merchant marine deck officer. In 1995, he began his shoreside career as an Application Engineer with Nautical Technology Corporation before returning to USMMA as an Academy Training Representative (ATR) in the school’s Office of Professional Development and Career Services.

As an ATR, Rodriguez was responsible for preparing USMMA Midshipmen for shipboard assignments and the administration of the academy’s internship program. He also played important roles integrating the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) training requirements into the academy’s curricula and representing the Academy’s Shipboard Training Program during the academy’s revision of its academic calendar

In 2001, Rodriguez moved on to serve as Executive Assistant of the International President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots (MMP). At MMP, he administered labor contracts and represented the organization and maritime labor in several national and international forums including the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Labor Advisory Committee and the International Maritime Organization.

In 2009, Rodriguez began service as Senior Professional Staff at the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. During his term with the committee, Rodriguez worked on a wide range of national maritime issues including navigation, maritime safety, and maritime security.

Raised in Blue Point, NY, Rodriguez has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business from the University of Baltimore and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Dowling College in New York, in addition to his Bachelor of Science Degree from USMMA. He lives in Severna Park, Maryland, with his wife and two sons