Chairman Cordero Speaks to California Maritime Academy During its Women on the Water and Pearls of Power Event

On Thursday, March 17, Chairman Cordero delivered opening remarks at the California Maritime Academy’s Women on the Water/Pearls of Power event in Vallejo, California. The Chairman spoke about the need to increase the number of women and minorities in the American maritime industry so that the industry mirrors the country it serves. The Chairman also spoke about the progress made by the FMC to foster and promote strong female leaders. The Chairman noted that at the end of the last fiscal year, roughly 48% of the FMC’s 123 employees were women. He attributed the agency’s near-equal makeup to his commitment to prioritizing having an FMC that is representative of the population it serves, to providing access to those who have traditionally not been a part of the maritime industry, and to the realization that hiring the best and the brightest necessitates widening the net. Chairman Cordero urged the young men and women at the event to prove that diversity and inclusion matter by becoming leaders, thinkers, and sought after problem-solvers in the maritime world.

From left to right: Stephen Kreta, CMA V.P. for Student Affairs, Mario Cordero, Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, RADM Thomas Cropper, President of CMA, Captain Kate McCue, Celebrity Cruises, Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” N. Jaenichen, Sr., Captain Harry Bolton, CMA TS GOLDEN BEAR Captain