Michael Cunningham

Experience

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  U. S. Coast Guard Finance Center

  Jan 1990 - Jan 1991

  Managed training program for new financial management software. Developed curriculum, texts, and support materials for the course. Served as principle course instructor. Trained over 2,000 students before and during deployment of software, provided technical support to users. Initial accession training in preparation for commissioning as a Coast Guard officer.

  • Director of Large Unit Financial Systems Training

    Jan 1990 - Jan 1991

  • Officer Candidate

    Jan 1990 - Jan 1990
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  NAS Pensacola & NAS Whiting Field

  Jan 1991 - Jan 1993

  Student Naval Aviator

  Primary and intermediate fixed wing flight instruction.

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  U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office/Group Los Angeles -Long Beach

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1997

  Marine Inspector

  Inspected vessels to determine seaworthiness for intended use and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and rules related to the equipment, construction, manning, and operation of vessels. Supervised unit's port state control program, directed personnel conducting port state control inspections, reviewed targeting matrices and applied to arriving vessels, and provided timely feedback to vessel masters, owners, class society representatives, foreign consular officials and Coast Guard Headquarters on the results of inspections. Served as Investigating Officer for marine casualties and violations of marine safety laws and regulations. Recommended changes to laws, treaties, and Coast Guard policy measures at the conclusion of investigations. Prepared civil and criminal penalty cases for Federal prosecution. Represented Coast Guard in administrative proceedings against licensed and documented mariners for negligence, misconduct, incompetence, and drug/alcohol abuse. Show less

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  U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Puget Sound

  Jan 1997 - Jan 2000

  Team Leader

  Supervised and lead team conducting port state control boardings on foreign flagged vessels for compliance with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations governing deep draft commercial vessels. Provided guidance and interpretation to industry on laws and regulations. Conversant in ship operations,s marine engineering, industry standards, international conventions, and Coast Guard regulations. Augmented operations division and conducted bunker monitors, harbor patrols, and marine environmental pollution response monitoring. Show less

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  Office of Legal Policy and Program Development, Coast Guard Headquarters

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2002

  Budget and Planning Officer

  Legal Program Strategic Planning and Budget Officer: Supervised a 3 person staff and managed a $1.9 million operating account. Developed and executed annual spend plans, served as liaison to Financial and Auditing program senior management, contracting and acquisitions programs, and other program financial staffs. Managed the Coast Guard's Federal regulatory printing budget and contract. Developed Legal Program annual business plan and strategic plan development, execution, and auditing. Developed resource proposals and represented Legal Program in internal agency budget build for the annual Congressional appropriations process. Show less

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  Naval Justice School

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2000

  Student

  Student in Basic Lawyer Course for certification as a Judge Advocate under Article 27(b) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

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  Office of Legislation, Coast Guard Headquarters

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2003

  Staff Attorney

  Primary legal counsel for legislation governing search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, the Coast Guard national intelligence element, engineering and systems, international affairs, and boating safety. Assisted program managers with developing and drafting legislation, coordinated the review of draft legislative change proposals, reports, testimony, Executive Orders, Statements of Administration Policy, and Views Letters referred to the Coast Guard by Congress or other agencies. Prepared formal statements of Coast Guard position, provided drafting assistance to Members of Congress, briefed Members of Congress and their staffs as requested on Coast Guard issues. Show less

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  Office of Maritime and International Law, Coast Guard Headquarters

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2004

  Staff Attorney

  Primary legal counsel for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection Directorate on vessel compliance programs, and merchant mariner licensing and documentation programs. Advised staff in the development and drafting of legally sufficient policy on federal regulations and legislation applicable to vessels, port facilities, and the maritime industry. Coordinated the review and submission of Congressional reports and draft Executive Orders.

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  Port Security Directorate, Coast Guard Headquarters

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2007

  Legal Advisor

  Primary Coast Guard Port Security Legal Advisor for the development of the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) regulations for vessels and port facilities, and the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code. Legal Advisor during the development and implementation of the MTSA regulations and ISPS Code. Principal legal advisor to Coast Guard units on how to implement the then-new vessel and facility security regulations. Principal Coast Guard representative to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States during Dubai Ports World's acquisition of P&O and the subsequent divestiture of P&O's U.S. assets. Served on a delegation to a United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Conference on the Proliferation Security Initiative. Primary legal advisor to U.S. interagency team which negotiated an agreement with the United Kingdom on maritime environmental response support to the British Virgin Islands. Show less

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  Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2010

  Staff Judge Advocate

  Provided command legal advice and coordinated legal services to flag commander (1 star admiral) and the commanding officers of 27 subordinate units with 5,000 personnel. Subject matters included the Uniform Code of Military justice, courts-martial, investigations, personnel actions, and the interpretation of international treaties and agreements applicable to operations. Provided legal counsel and advice in support of strategic planning and the development of tactics, techniques and procedures, training, exercises, and doctrine. Managed Congressional and public relations, responding to all inquiries and support for Congressional testimony. Provided pre-deployment and annual training to units and personnel on a variety of topics including the use of force, rules of engagement, law of war, and the law of armed conflict. Show less

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  Seventh Coast Guard District

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Deputy Staff Judge Advocate

  Provided legal services, legal advice, and operational support to Coast Guard commanders and units conducting Coast Guard operations in South Florida and the Caribbean. Legal advice and service on all matters pertaining to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, courts-martial, counter-narcotics operations, maritime law, international law, ethics, liability claims, and civil litigation support. Principal trial liaisons to the Department of Justice and multiple U.S. Attorneys, providing witness management and evidentiary support for federal criminal prosecutions, civil seizures, and administrative penalties resulting from Coast Guard operations. Show less

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  Joint Military Attaché School

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2013

  Student

  Training in advance of assignment as Coast Guard Attaché to Mexico. Areas of study included Spanish (23 weeks), Program Management, Operational Environment, Representational Environment, Security and Force Protection, Defense Attaché Management, and Field Technology.

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  United States Embassy, Mexico City

  Jan 2013 - Jan 2015

  Coast Guard Attaché

  Diplomatically accredited principal Coast Guard representative to the Government of Mexico and the Mexican Navy. Analyzed and advised on trends and developments on military and maritime issues of interest to the United States, including cooperation on search and rescue, Mexico's efforts to open its energy sector and offshore energy industry to foreign companies, developments in Mexican port safety and security, and U.S. - Mexican agreements to cooperate on search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime environmental response. Show less

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  U.S Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2017

  Deputy Commander

  Responsible for Coast Guard operations throughout South Texas, including the Port of Corpus Christi (the nation's third largest petro-chemical port and a military out-load port) and Port of Brownsville, the Gulf of Mexico, and along the maritime border with Mexico. Responsible for the enforcement of domestic and international commercial vessel safety regulations, waterways management, aids-to-navigation, and incident management. Led 635 active duty, 144 Reserve, and 20 civilian personnel. Managed a $9 million budget for operations and logistics and engineering support for three small boat stations, 4 coastal patrol boats, an inland construction tender, and an air station with three helicopters and three medium range fixed wing patrol airplanes. Led Department of Homeland Security Regional Coordinating Mechanism. Alternate Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections, Federal On Scene Coordinator, and Federal Maritime Security Coordinator. ICS Type 3 Incident Commander. Show less

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  Greater Houston Port Bureau

  Jan 2017 - Jan 2018

  Director, Program Management

  Leads the Port Bureau's efforts to improve chemical tanker efficiency within the Port of Houston with the goal to reduce the number of unproductive vessel movements and lost terminal time. Manages the Port Bureau's cooperative automated identification system (AIS) program to provide member companies access to AIS feeds throughout Texas.

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  U.S. Maritime Administration

  Jan 2018 - Jul 2020

  Attorney-Advisor

  Attorney-Advisor, Maritime Programs Division, Office of Chief Counsel. Principal attorney reviewing, advising and drafting MARAD recommendations for Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) cases. Revamped MARAD’s internal CFIUS review process and supporting documentation templates to streamline and speed up MARAD’s efforts. Internal agency champion and advocate to develop support for and participation in Sea Traffic Management and Port Call Optimization efforts, including the development of cloud-based, data-driven, decision support management systems for maritime strategic business decision-making and planning. Principal attorney reviewing and advising on cargo preference cases and regulations. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Appeals Officer: Review, research, and adjudicate appeals of MARAD FOIA decisions. Focusing on transparency and ensuring public access to government records while balancing legitimate needs to protect information when necessary. Show less

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  U.S. Coast Guard

  Jul 2020 - now

  Chief, Office of Regulations and Administrative Law