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.

Don Keefe, Chairman of the Board

Don Keefe is the President of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. He is a 1978 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Joining MEBA after graduation, he sailed for 17 years in a variety of capacities, earning a Chief Engineer's License (Steam/Motor/Gas Turbine Unlimited). Don was appointed to Union office as a Representative in 1996 and served as Atlantic Coast Vice President and Trustee to MEBA Plans from January 2002 until December 2007. He was elected President of the MEBA in December, 2007.

He is married to Sandy and they have three children.

Company Representatives:

Phillip J. Shapiro

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.

William Kenwell

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.

R. Christian Johnsen

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.

MEBA Representatives

Bill Van Loo

Bill Van Loo is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. He was named Secretary-Treasurer by the MEBA District 1 District Executive Committee to replace retiring Secretary-Treasurer Cecil McIntyre. Prior to his selection as Secretary-Treasurer, Bill was the Branch Agent for the Union in Baltimore, in which capacity he had served since 2002. He is a third-generation member of the MEBA. He graduated from the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in 1983.

He is married to Vicky, and they currently reside in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mike Nizetich

Mike Nizetich is M.E.B.A.'s Executive Vice President and heads up the Oakland/San Francisco Union hall. A second generation member, he is a graduate of the Calhoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School and shipped out as an engineer for 16 years before beginning elected service. He came to office as the Union's L.A. Patrolman in 2002 and won a second term three years later. Mike became the Branch Agent in L.A. in 2006 following the retirement of Al Camelio. His grasp of the issues and hard work on behalf of the members made him the logical choice to take over as Executive V.P. where he continues to serve with distinction.

Bill McHugh

Bill McHugh serves as the Atlantic Coast Vice President for the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association. He is a 1987 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and currently holds a 1600 ton Masters/Chief Mate License Steam or Motor Unlimited. Bill has served on a variety of vessels including ten years aboard U.S.-Flag Aquarius Class LNG Carriers. He was first elected New York Patrolman in 2002. He was appointed Baltimore Branch Agent in 2006 to replace Bill Van Loo, who became Secretary/Treasurer. He served in this capacity until being elected Atlantic Coast Vice President in December 2007.

Marc Huber

Marc Huber is serving his second term as M.E.B.A.'s Gulf Coast Vice President. He began his service as an official In 1999 elected as Patrolman in the Union's New Orleans branch; subsequently he was elected Gulf Coast V.P. in 2001. Marc joined the M.E.B.A. sailing on his license out of the Union hall since his 1980 graduation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point. He holds a Chief Engineer's license and put it back to good use during his three-year hiatus from Union office in 2005 when he returned to sea, sailing under some of the same contracts he negotiated during his first term as Gulf Coast V.P. He again resides in New Orleans.