The AMC Board of Directors is made up of six representatives appointed by our member companies, and six representatives appointed by the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association.

Mike Jewell

Chairman, AMC Board of Directors

Mike Jewell took over as M.E.B.A. President in January 2011. He graduated both James Madison University (1977) and the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School (Cadet Group 77A). He began his M.E.B.A. sailing career in 1982 with NOAA. Over the course of his shipping career, he has sailed out of all 3 coasts in various capacities and aboard numerous vessels. Mike served as the elected M.E.B.A. Seattle Patrolman from 1999 to 2004 and chaired the first ever M.E.B.A. District No. 1 Convention in 2000.

Most recently, Mike has been the permanent first assistant aboard Matson Line’s CAPE JACOB. He has also been a member of the US Navy Reserve for 28 years and currently holds the rank of Captain, USN. In his Naval Reserve capacity, Mike has trained hundreds of US merchant mariners in CBRD (Chemical Biological Radiological Defense) and has coordinated new officer training and indoctrination programs.

Mike serves on the executive board of US Strategic Sealift Officers (formerly US Merchant Marine Naval Reserve Program). He is a member of the National Defense Transportation Association, the Naval Reserve Association, Military Officers Association, the Reserve Officers Association, and the national Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

As M.E.B.A. President, he is a Trustee of the M.E.B.A. Benefit Plans and is the Chairman of the Board of the American Maritime Congress.

Mike is married to his wife Carole. They have three children and currently reside in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Company Representatives

R. Christian Johnsen

Vice Chairman, AMC Board of Directors

Central Gulf/Waterman

A partner in the firm and a member of its board of directors, Chris Johnsen received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia in 1982, and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School in 1985. He was admitted to the Louisiana Bar later that year and has worked continuously with Jones Walker since completing his law degree. Since opening the firm's office in Washington, D.C., in 1990 and being admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1991, Mr. Johnsen has built a strong team of government relations professionals who represent clients in the maritime, energy, and defense industries, numerous institutions of higher learning and several state and local government entities. He provides his clients with a broad range of government relations assistance, including advice on a wide variety of legislative and regulatory matters facing the maritime industry. He has developed strong relationships with the key committees on Capitol Hill with general jurisdiction over transportation and maritime issues (the Senate Commerce Committee, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee) and the tax writing committees with jurisdiction over maritime tax and trade matters (the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee).

Over the years, Mr. Johnsen has been deeply involved in numerous legislative matters affecting the maritime industry, including the Maritime Security Acts of 1996 and 2003, numerous Coast Guard Authorization Acts, the landmark tonnage tax legislation, the repeal of Subpart F shipping income provisions, the Jones Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007) and legislation to implement numerous Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Mr. Johnsen also represents International Shipholding Corporation, and its US flag subsidiaries, Central Gulf Lines, Inc., Waterman Steamship Corporation, and Sulphur Carriers, Inc., in Washington on all matters relating to the Federal government. In addition to his work on Capitol Hill, he has developed close ties with the principal Federal agencies involved with the promotion and/or regulation of the U.S. maritime industry: the Department of Transportation, the Maritime Administration (MarAd), the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Department of Agriculture, the United States Trade Representative, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Mr. Johnsen is the past President of the Propeller Club of Washington and currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Coast Guard Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Maritime Congress, a research and educational organization dedicated to informing the public, the media, and our legislators in Washington on the issues and policies affecting the U.S.-Flag merchant marine and maritime industry. Additionally, he sits on the Advisory Board of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Phillip J. Shapiro

Liberty Maritime

Philip J. Shapiro is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Maritime Corporation, a New York based ship management company, which is the operating entity for five 84,000 DWT and three 50,000 DWT dry bulk carrier vessels owned by Liberty Shipping Group LLC as well as one PCTC - Roll On/Roll Off vessel owned by Alliance New York LLC. Today, Liberty operates the largest privately held U.S.-Flag pure dry bulk carrier fleet. The Liberty fleet has successfully transported over 28 million tons of US origin food aid on over 500 voyages to more than 40 countries worldwide as well as other preference cargoes for various US government agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, State, and Defense.

Liberty Global Logistics LLC (LGL) represents a diversification for the Liberty Group into the international PCTC commercial trade. As the President and CEO of LGL, Mr. Shapiro has formed a strategic alliance with the owners of the 2005 built MN ALLIANCE NEW YORK and Hoegh Autofiners. This ship is one of the newest and most modern commercial vessel in the U.S.-Flag fleet and the Maritime Security Program.

Prior to founding Liberty in 1988, Mr. Shapiro served as Vice President and General Counsel of Apex Marine Corporation. Before joining Apex Marine, he practiced corporate and real estate law for two years with a law firm in New York City.

He is a 1974 graduate of Columbia University, and received his JD from Hofstra University Law School in 1978.

Mr. Shapiro currently serves as a Director on a number of private and public corporate and charitable boards including the NYSE listed OMI Corporation, United Seamen's Service and the American Maritime Congress. He is an elected member of the American Bureau of Shipping and serves on its North American Committee as well as its ABS Council. He also serves as an Associate Trustee of the North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System, the largest health care provider on Long Island, and a member of its Executive Associate Trustee Committee.

He is married to Janet, and they have two children, Joshua and Brooke. They reside in Brookville, New York.

Eric L. Mensing

APL

Eric Mensing, President and CEO of APL Maritime Ltd and Vice President of Government Affairs/Trade for APL Ltd., is the company’s senior executive in Washington, D.C. A 29-year veteran of the ocean transportation industry, he manages APL’s relationship with the U.S. Government, all it’s business with the U.S. Military and their U.S. Flag fleet of 18 vessels.

Mr. Mensing oversees the company’s legislative program on Capitol Hill and maintains contact with federal agencies that regulate international shipping and freight management. A member of APL’s Liner Executive Committee, he also manages the company’s trade with the U.S. Government, primarily the Department of Defense.

After graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Mr. Mensing joined APL in 1981 as a ship’s officer / Management Trainee. He held various sales and operational positions for the company on the West Coast before becoming General Manager of APL operations in the Middle East and, later, Canada.

Mr. Mensing was the Vice President for the Trans-Atlantic trade before taking over his current position in 2002.

Raised in Glendora, CA, Mr. Mensing lives in McLean, VA, with his wife and three older children.

APL Assignments:

• Ship’s Officer/Management Trainee - Oakland, CA
• Manager Vessel Maintenance - Oakland, CA
• Sales Representative - San Pedro, CA
• Manager Government Marketing/Affairs - Washington, DC
• General Manager Saudi Arabia/Bahrain - Dammam, KSA
• General Manager Middle East - Dubai, UAE
• Manager Sales PSW Region - San Pedro, CA
• Director Government Marketing - Oakland, CA
• Managing Director Canada - Toronto, Ontario
• Vice President Government Marketing - Washington, DC
• Vice President Trans-Atlantic Trade - London, UK
• Vice President Government Trade/Affair - Washington, DC
• President/CEO APL Maritime Ltd. - Bethesda, MD

William Kenwell

Maersk Line Limited

William Kenwell was named Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk Line, Limited, on September 1, 2006.

Mr. Kenwell joined Maersk Inc. in February 2004 as the Director of Integrated Marketing and has extensive sales, marketing and general management background in the transportation and logistics industry. For 29 years, from 1971-1999, he was with Sea-Land Service in the United States and Asia. During his career at Sea-Land, he was in charge of Global Sales, Corporate Marketing, Pacific Rim Sales and Marketing, the Hawaii-Guam Service, Buyers Consolidators and Sea-Land Logistics.

He also served with CSX Transportation, where he was Vice President of Sales for North America from 2001-2003, and where he managed CSX's international offices in Europe, Mexico and Latin America, as well as the logistics services company Transflo. Prior to this, Mr. Kenwell was Vice President of Partner Relations for GT Nexus, a leading logistics software solutions provider.

Mr. Kenwell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University, and completed the Executive Marketing Program at the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. He is a life member of the National Defense Transportation Association.

Mr. Kenwell is domiciled at Maersk Line, Limited's Arlington office.

P.W.J. Fisher

Keystone Shipping Company

Jordan Truchan

American Ship Management

MEBA Representatives

Bill Van Loo

Bill Van Loo has served as M.E.B.A.'s Secretary-Treasurer since 2006. He is a third-generation member who graduated from the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School in 1983 and shipped out for 17 years. As an engineer he shipped out on freighters, tankers and containerships calling on ports in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and North America. He holds a Chief Engineers License.

He was a key cog in a rank and file push to solidify the Union’s democracy in the early 1990s. His hands-on approach and attentiveness has resonated with the membership which has validated his candidacy for office in every election since 2001. Members first ushered Bill into office a decade ago as the Union’s Branch Agent in Baltimore then re-elected him three years later. His ability to multi-task, his contract savvy and experience along with a strong work ethic made him the natural choice to ascend to the District Executive Committee – the Union’s governing body – in 2006. He has also served as a Delegate at five National M.E.B.A. Conventions.

Bill has been very involved with local labor and maritime associations and his knack for political networking is paying dividends at HQ which is located at the foot of Capitol Hill. He also heads up M.E.B.A.’s Political Action Fund.

Bill harbors deep connections with M.E.B.A.’s School in Easton, MD where he, his wife Vicky and daughter Ali reside. He founded the Calhoon Alumni Association and championed the project to build the beautiful new Memorial Park on School grounds that honors fallen merchant mariners. He is also Chairman of the M.E.B.A. Merchant Marine Memorial Foundation.

David A. Nolan

David Nolan was elected in December 2010 as the Executive Vice President of MEBA and is based in MEBA’s Oakland, California office.

Dave is a 1980 graduate of the California Maritime Academy and has been actively sailing for over 30 years. He has worked on a variety of vessels throughout his maritime career and began sailing as a permanent Chief Engineer at the age of 33.

Most recently, Dave was employed for over 10 years as a permanent Chief Engineer and Port Engineer for the Matson Navigation Company.

Chris Guerra

Chris Guerra was elected in December 2010 as the Atlantic Coast Vice President for MEBA and his office is located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Chris most recently served as the MEBA New York/New Jersey Patrolman and also served as the MEBA Director of Inland & Harbor Contracts. Prior to his union official career, Chris was an active sailing engineer for MEBA.

Jonathan Lincoln

Jonathan Lincoln's sailing career began while attending Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, where he sailed as a student officer aboard the school-owned schooner "Tabor Boy". This experience led Mr. Lincoln to attend Maine Maritime Academy, where he graduated in 1988. For the next 23 years, Mr. Lincoln has sailed on his license on union-contracted, U.S. flag vessels, including cruise ships, LNG carriers, tankers, and container ships, with a brief tour as an Assistant Port Engineer at Sand Island Container Terminal in Honolulu. His most recent position has been Chief Engineer on the M/V Yorktown Express, a Maritime Security Program (MSP) vessel.

Mr. Lincoln is married and owns a small cattle ranch in central Texas. While serving as the Gulf Coast Vice President of M.E.B.A., Mr. Lincoln is residing in New Orleans.

Stephen Jablonski

Stephen Jablonski is currently serving the Union’s membership as the Branch Agent in the Port of Baltimore. Being newly-elected to this position has allowed Steve to take his career in a new direction.

Steve is a 1982 graduate of the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School, Easton MD. He has over 25 years’ experience sailing relief through the union halls and working on ROS vessels. Steve has served as the First Engineer on the Nuclear Ship Savannah from 2008 through 2010. This 3-year assignment has provided him with an opportunity to perform additional duties outside the regular scope of work and to meet with various community members during Maritime functions.

Raised in the Panama Canal Zone, Steve has resided in Baltimore County for the last 28 years. Being a long-time Maryland resident has afforded him the opportunity to form solid friendships with an up-close insight to local concerns.