Marad Spokesperson: "We do not comment on personnel moves."
The U.S. Maritime Administration this morning had no official comment on information received by Marinelink from well placed sources that Marad Chief Counsel Denise Krepp had departed her post within the DOT's maritime modal arm. If true, Krepp would be just one more in a string of high level officials to leave the embattled department in recent months. Krepp was officially sworn in as the Chief Counsel of the Maritime Administration on September 28, 2009. According to the U.S. Maritime Administration's WEB site, the MarAd Office of the Chief Counsel is under the direction and supervision of the Chief Counsel, who reports to the Maritime Administrator. The Chief Counsel is appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, with approval of the President.
Marad and its leadership have come under increasingly vocal criticism in recent months over their handling of many issues; including but not limited to the dismantling of the Global Maritime & Transportation School (GMATS) at Kings Point, NY, the removal of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's Superintendent and the way it has handled the disposal of obsolete tonnage from the nation's three reserve fleets.