Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy Appoints 1st Female Superintendent

KINGS POINT, NY — The first female superintendent will take the top job at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, the Department of Transportation announced on Saturday. Rear Admiral Joanna Nunan will take over as the 14th superintendent of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in a few weeks, the Department said.

Nunan is a three-decade veteran in the Coast Guard and has commanded several fleets and worked as a personnel deputy.

“Rear Admiral Joanna Nunan is the right leader at the right time for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the news release.

“Her years of experience as a senior military leader—including command at sea—have prepared Rear Admiral Nunan to shape the future of the USMMA and help ensure the safety and success of its extraordinary midshipmen.”

The Bridgeport, CT-native also took on the issue of diversity and inclusion in the Coast Guard, helping to retain women in the force. She was a member of the Coast Guard’s Sexual Assault Prevention, Response, and Recovery Committee. Nunan holds an MBA, spent nine years serving at sea and was Commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.

The Academy is a service academy, training midshipmen for the United States Merchant Marine, branches of the United States Armed Forces and the transportation industry.