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As he works to deliver a cutting edge maritime education and curriculum, the newly con? rmed 38th President of the Massachu- setts Maritime Academy also looks to the past. Tomorrow’s Mari- time Professional will therefore contain a little of both.

By Joseph Keefe ess than six months ago, RADM Francis X. McDonald from Northeastern University and has served as an adjunct pro- was unanimously con? rmed as the 38th president of the fessor in the Academy’s emergency management graduate pro-

L Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA). Founded gram. He assumed the role of President in August 2015. in 1891, the Academy offers seven undergraduate and two McDonald actually didn’t start out at the Academy, nor did graduate majors and is one of two “special mission” public he see himself wearing a uniform. Right out of high school, universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. McDon- he ? rst attended the University of Massachusetts and pur- ald’s appointment is particularly signi? cant in that the acad- sued a degree in mechanical engineering. Early on, however, emy’s decision to hire from within ensures not only continuity he watched as his brother, also a Mass. Maritime graduate, for the school’s mission, but also places the proper focus on launched an exciting career leveraging the academy and its what McDonald has already accomplished on campus; service unique regimental formula. Eventually, he transferred to the spanning more than two decades. Nevertheless, and with the school and immediately fell in love with it. The ? re in that academy’s 125th anniversary (2016) looming large in the pro- ‘romance’ has since stood the test of time.

verbial porthole, there is still much to do. MarPro sat down McDonald told MarPro in October, “I loved my time at the with McDonald at the Buzzards Bay, MA campus in October academy as a cadet. And I always thought that I would re- to get a sense of what will come next. turn to work here after retiring. When I graduated and went to work in the power plant industry, shipping was dead ? at. The

From Cadet to Admiral only people going out to sea had to sail as AB’s or as oilers.”

Thirty years after his graduation from MMA, McDonald Still, McDonald stayed in touch with the recently retired ADM ? nds himself not only back on campus, but also in charge of Richard Gurnon, helped him on open houses and would come a school steeped in history and tradition. As MMA rapidly down and speak to the cadets. Eventually, that relationship led evolves to meet new challenges, McDonald says that the deci- to a spot on the Academy’s Engineering Advisory Board. Part sion to return to the academy was an easy one. “What keeps of the Advisory Group that started the ? rst diversi? cation of me here is the people and the product. From my ? rst year here majors – something the academy had to do in order to merely back 20 years ago working in career services, getting to know survive – McDonald immersed himself in the task, starting the cadets, getting connected to the cadets, I’d do anything I with the facility and plant engineering proposal, all the way can to try to remain connected with them. It is such a unique to ? nding co-op positions for those new students. The effort product that we put out there; it just makes work fun every day eventually brought him back in a full time role.

and different every day.”

Upon graduation from the Academy in 1985, McDonald

Mentors & Management pursued an engineering career and earned a Master of Science McDonald had good mentors coming up, but he has especial- in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He re- ly high praise for the man he replaced at the academy’s top spot. turned to his alma mater in 1995 to serve as Director of Cooper- “When I showed up here as a cadet, I still had some growing up ative Education, a role in which he developed and implemented to do, and what I learned from Rick Gurnon was that you must the cooperative education program and dramatically increased accept the consequences for your actions. And it was that kind placement rates for undergraduate interns and graduating se- of accountability and that kick-in-the-butt that I needed. When niors. Appointed as Dean of Enrollment Management in 1999, I came back, Rick was the Vice President and he was to me a he led the rebranding of the Academy which resulted in a dra- mentor, a friend, and a role model.” Like Gurnon, McDonald matic increase in numbers and diversity of incoming freshmen. has over time become one the academy’s biggest advocates.

He has since served as Vice President for Operations, heading For his part, McDonald insists that his inclusive manage- up a major campus building expansion, and as Executive Vice ment style is time-tested, through many venues and profes-

President. McDonald also holds a Doctor of Law and Policy sional situations. “You get more done if you try to lead in a www.maritimeprofessional.com Maritime Professional 33| | 18-33 Q4 MP2015.indd 33 11/18/2015 10:12:09 AM