Board of Visitors
Our Mission
The mission of the Board of Visitors (BOV) is to advise, assist and support the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the Executive Leadership of Texas A&M University at Galveston in the following roles:
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Advise and consult with the COO and campus leadership regarding issues of mutual concern related to maritime, education, research, and student support initiatives.
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Support and steward the Galveston Campus through fostering mutually beneficial relationships with industry, community, and scientific communities, state and federal governments, A&M College Station and regional campuses, and present and former students.
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Assist in resource development for the support of the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus, faculty and students.
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Personally engage and support the Galveston Campus through involvement with faculty, staff, and students, attendance at campus events and activities, and/or financial support of Texas A&M University at Galveston students, faculty, programs, or facilities.
Board of Visitors meetings are held in the spring and fall of each year with committee meetings held throughout the year as appropriate to their respective vision and charge.
Jonathan Whitworth '89
Chairman
Howdy!
Hard to believe the 2025-2026 school year is rapidly coming to a close. Spring Break has sprung and finals and graduation will be here before we know it. As usual, things are incredibly busy on campus thanks in part to the higher number of students and a lot of activity both on campus and off (the T/S Lone Star State is getting closer to finishing!).
Speaking of our training ship and the Maritime Academy, the state of the Jones Act and US shipping is in a very weird spot. On one hand, the administration in DC released the Maritime Action Plan (MAP) in February, which is the most serious push to rebuild U.S. maritime capacity in decades. It’s intended to rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding capacity, increase the number of U.S. Flag vessels, and increase the number of U.S. merchant mariners… yes, about time! But, this is a DC based concept, and as we’ve seen in the past, it’s very easy to make speeches but quite difficult to rebuild an industry which peaked 75 years ago. But similar to the SHIPS Act which was announced last year, the fact people in DC are talking about ships is a very, very good thing.
Then on the other hand, the same administration which endorsed both the SHIPS Act and MAP last week announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act for all products moving between U.S. ports. As you all likely know, the Jones Act fleet has already dropped from 193 qualifying ocean-going vessels to 92. A waiver doesn’t fix the energy problem; it just hands the work to foreign operators while U.S. mariners sit on the sidelines.
From an Academy standpoint and through the eyes of our cadets who are hoping to join the wonderful world of marine transportation, you can clearly understand the level of uncertainty and anxiety all of this is creating. I’m hoping there will be more clarity on these topics in the coming months, but in the meantime, we are incredibly fortunate to be hearing from Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue (Professor in the Dept. of Maritime Business Administration) during our next BOV meeting to discuss the Iran War and it’s impact on global & U.S. shipping markets.
I look forward to seeing you either in person or via Zoom at the meeting.
Thanks again for all your help and support, it’s very much appreciated!
