June 20, 2002 News Release

Washington, D.C. – Malcolm Williams of Annandale, Virginia, was appointed Associate Director for Stewardship for the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, a Congressionally authorized and Presidentially-appointed body charged with compiling recommendations for the development of a comprehensive national ocean policy.

“I speak for all 16 commissioners when I say that we are pleased that Mr. Williams is joining us on staff at the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy,” said Commission Chairman Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret). “He brings an exceptionally strong background in the development of law, policy and operational improvements. In addition, he’s dealt with environmental issues from a broad range of perspectives. That experience will prove invaluable as the Commission works to develop a new national ocean policy.”

Williams comes to the Commission following a 30-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard. He served most recently as the head of the Coast Guard Headquarters’ largest legal policy division, the Office of Maritime and International Law, in Washington, D.C. There he developed and implemented policy and legal advice in support of all Coast Guard operations nationally. His experience includes marine environmental and natural resource protection, pollution prevention and response, marine safety, port security and enforcement of federal maritime laws and regulations.

Williams joins the Commission’s existing team of associate directors, including Terry Schaff, Associate Director for Government Relations; Laura Cantral, Associate Director for Governance; Ken Turgeon, Associate Director for Research, Education and Marine Operations; and Capt. David Titley (USN), Associate Director for Operations.

Currently, the Commission is conducting a nine-stop regional fact-finding mission which includes site visits and public meetings in the nation’s coastal regions. The commission will visit the Northeast, Alaska and the Great Lakes regions over the next three months. Meetings already have been held in six other regions since January.

Based on the information gathered at the public meetings, and its in-depth analysis of U.S. coastal policies, the Commission will be compiling recommendations for the development of a comprehensive federal ocean policy to effectively preserve and utilize the world’s oceans and their resources. The Commission’s recommendations will be presented to Congress and the President in a final report in 2003.

For more information on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy go to: http://oceancommission.gov.


Contacts:

Kate Naughten
202-309-5476


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