(Vallejo, California – November 22, 2017) – California Maritime Academy Foundation has announced the addition of Scott Merritt, Foss Maritime's chief operating officer, to its board of trustees.
 

Merritt is a 1983 graduate of California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime), and he holds an MBA from the University of Washington. 

 

The California Maritime Academy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Cal Maritime. Its mission is to solicit, manage and distribute charitable contributions for the benefit of the Academy. Cal Maritime is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast – designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and Alaska. 

 

Merritt joined Foss Maritime Company in 1983 and has served in a variety of positions throughout his career, including; San Francisco Bay Regional Director, VP of Engineering and Shipyards, SVP of Operations, and SVP of Harbor Services.  In January 2017 he was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer.  In his current role he is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the company's fleet (consisting of over 150 vessels including tugs, barges, ships and support craft), two shipyards and the marine engineering and naval architectural services team. 

 

He has served as a member of a number of industry and community based organizations including; API Marine Committee, Technical Advisory Committee to OSPR, USCG Afloat Committee on Security, and Northern California Marine Transportation System Committee.   In addition to the California Maritime Academy Foundation Board of Directors, he is currently a member of the Seattle Maritime Academy Technical Advisory Committee, Seattle Marine Business Coalition Board of Directors and the American Waterway Operators Board of Directors and Executive Committee member.

 

Founded in 1889, Foss Maritime is a full-service maritime company focused on solving customers' toughest marine transportation and logistical challenges.

 

The California Maritime Academy Foundation is a charitable organization as defined by Section 501-C-3 of the federal tax code.

 

The 2018 edition of U.S. News and World Report's Best College ranked Cal Maritime first among public colleges in the western region. Washington Monthly ranked Cal Maritime the number five baccalaureate college in the nation for contribution to the public good. In its bang for the buck rankings, the publication ranking the Academy number three in the west and number one for alumni earnings. The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard ranks Cal Maritime first among public California universities for graduate earnings 10 years after enrollment. The Academy is also one of only 15 four-year colleges in the U.S. to receive a perfect score for "value added" to student outcomes in a study by the Brookings Institute. Money magazine ranked the school as one of America's Best Public Colleges and Forbes recently ranked Cal Maritime #20 nationally among public colleges with high-earning graduates.