Page 12: of Marine News Magazine (May 2022)

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Insights Richard

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Balzano

CEO & Executive Director,

Dredging Contractors of America

Richard Balzano took over as CEO and executive director of the Dredging

Contractors of America in December 2020. And while he says he’s “still fairly new to the [dredging] industry”, he certainly knows his way around the business, having held a number of prominent roles over the course of more than 30 years in the maritime and U.S government sectors. His resume is impressive.

A combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, he retired from the U.S. Navy at the rank of Captain. He later served as the presidentially appointed Deputy

Maritime Administrator for three years, and also previously served as senior staff on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.

In the private sector, Balzano has held leading positions in the defense, commercial maritime, and nuclear utility industries. He earned his B.S. in Marine

Engineering with a minor in Nuclear Engineering from the Maine Maritime

Academy and a M.S. in Environmental Sciences from Johns Hopkins University.

He also holds active dual U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Licenses.

12 | MN May 2022