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AWO Names New Atlantic Region Vice President

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Waterways Operators (AWO) recently named Christopher Coakley as its new Vice President - Atlantic Region. He replaces Linda O'Leary, who retired from AWO. In this position, Mr. Coakley has the lead advocacy role for the region's public policy issues with state and federal decision makers.

Mr. Coakley has considerable experience in the public policy process, having been a former Executive Assistant to Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) and a lobbyist with the Washington law and lobbying firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, LLP, which has one of the premier maritime practices in the nation. While at Preston Gates, he provided legislative and regulatory analyses on transportation issues for the firm's railroad and transit clients, monitoring the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act, and meeting with program managers to secure appropriations for research grants at the Department of Transportation and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. In addition, Mr. Coakley lobbied federal agencies on behalf of university research in the areas of agriculture, nanotechnology and engineering. He also worked as a Contract Legal Assistant in the Washington law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering.

"Christopher's experience and professionalism make him an extraordinarily good fit for AWO's needs in the Atlantic Region," commented AWO President Tom Allegretti. "His skills are directly transferable to the issue agenda facing AWO members in that region, and I am confident that he will be an enormous asset in projecting the industry's economic, environmental and national security benefits to key policymakers there," he said.

Mr. Coakley sees his new position with AWO as a unique opportunity to combine his professional and personal interests. He is an avid sailor and is pursuing his Coast Guard 100-ton Masters license after having had the experience of working as a Relief Captain on a 100-ton vessel in Flathead Lake, Montana. He is also a candidate for U.S. Coast Guard certification in advanced coastal navigation.

Mr. Coakley graduated with distinction from Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government. He also completed both a public policy internship in Parliament as part of the Hansard Scholars Program of the London School of Economics, and the Tuck Business Bridge Program in the Amos Tuck School of Dartmouth College.

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