Sen. Kelly Elected Chair of United States Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors

Kelly is the first ever USMMA alumnus to serve in Congress

Today, Arizona Senator and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) alumnus Mark Kelly was unanimously elected as Chair of the USMMA Board of Visitors for the 118^th Congress during a meeting of the board. Kelly, who graduated from the USMMA in 1986 and went on to serve 25 years in the U.S. Navy, is the first ever USMMA alumnus to serve in Congress.  

“As the first USMMA graduate to serve in Congress, I am honored to have been chosen for this responsibility. For our economy and our national security, we need a strong Merchant Marine—and that means a strong U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. I am eager to get to work on addressing the many challenges facing the Academy, including rebuilding campus infrastructure, and creating a safe and effective learning environment to meet our commercial and military maritime needs,” said Kelly.  

Background  

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors consists of Members of Congress, and relevant stakeholders from the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and industry. As Chair, Kelly will lead the board in providing independent advice to and oversight of the USMMA. The USMMA, located in Kings Point, NY, is a federal service academy dedicated to training licensed Merchant Marine Officers and Commissioned officers in the U.S. Armed Forces. The USMMA plays a critical role in securing both U.S. commerce and defense supply chains.