Vice Admiral Nunan and Rear Admiral Wulf Announce Departures from USMMA Leadership

WASHINGTON – Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, 14th Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Deputy Superintendent Rear Admiral David M. Wulf have announced their departures. This brings to an end their tenure committed to the quality of the midshipman experience at Kings Point.  Among their last official duties at the Academy was to preside over the Class of 2025’s Commencement Exercises.  

Instrumental in forging a long-term agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in developing a comprehensive plan for campus modernization, Nunan’s and Wulf’s efforts leave Kings Point well-positioned to fulfill the Academy’s critical national-security mission and to thrive long into the future.

“I thank Vice Admiral Nunan and Rear Admiral Wulf for their service to our Nation and to our midshipmen,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, its critical mission, and its extraordinary midshipmen fully deserve the kind of dedication and commitment the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent brought to their roles at Kings Point.” 

“I have long believed that I am the luckiest admiral I know,” Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan said recently. “I have been privileged to play a role in the lives of some of America’s most inspiring young people as they became our finest future mariners.”

During this transition period, it is our priority to find an exceptional person to lead the Academy into the future, while maintaining a strong and effective organization.  Accordingly, Captain Anthony J. Ceraolo, USMS/USCG (Ret.), who assumed duties as the Chief of Staff of Academy in 2023, will serve as the Acting Superintendent while we conduct an extensive search for new leadership of the Academy.  A Change of Command ceremony will be planned at that time.  

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, located in Kings Point, N.Y, educates and graduates licensed merchant mariners and leaders of exemplary character who will serve America’s marine transportation and defense needs in peace and war. The U.S. Merchant Marine is administered by the Department of Transportation. 

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