Former Rear Admiral nominated as Administrator of US Maritime Administration
Ann Phillips has been nominated by President Biden as Administrator of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) in the Department of Transportation.
Phillips served nearly 31 years on active duty in the US Navy, retiring in 2014 as a Rear Admiral. Her final command was as Commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group Two, comprising all of the amphibious expeditionary forces on the US East Coast. Earlier she served on the Chief of Naval Operations’ Staff as Deputy Director and then Director of the Surface Warfare Division, and commanded both the destroyer USS Mustin and Destroyer Squadron 28.
Phillips is a leader in the field of coastal resilience and climate impact on national security at the regional, national and international level. In her current appointment as the first Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, she is building a whole-of-government and community approach to address the impact of coastal flooding, including developing Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan.
If confirmed, Phillips will replace Lucinda Lessley, who has held the position for nine months in an acting capacity since Rear Admiral Mark Buzby resigned following the January 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.