(VALLEJO, Calif.) — Robert Erin Brogan, a 27-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, has been named Cal Maritime’s commandant of cadets.
Brogan served as the commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s largest training center, located in Petaluma, Calif., from 2011 until 2013. Before that, he worked in a number of roles for the Coast Guard in Honolulu. From 2009 until 2011 he served as strategic advisor to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and from 2007 until 2009 as strategic adviser to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. For the last year, he has been the associate director of a nonprofit residential treatment program and private school dedicated to helping vulnerable and marginalized teenagers and their families.
“Cal Maritime has a proud tradition of training leaders for the global maritime industry, and we are currently in the process of revamping and updating our leadership training curriculum to prepare our graduates for the challenges of this important profession,” said Cal Maritime President Thomas Cropper. “I am confident that Commandant Brogan will excel in this key role as we implement our new leadership training program.”
A 1986 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, Brogan received a master of arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 1997 and a master of science in instructional systems design from Florida State University in 2001.
“Mr. Brogan brings a tremendous combination of practical and academic leadership experience as well as a strong commitment to education and student development,” said Steve Kreta, vice president for student affairs. “I look forward to working with him as part of our student affairs leadership team.”
The Office of the Commandant shares responsibility for the leadership, professional, and personal development of each and every cadet with other areas within the Student Affairs Division and with Cal Maritime faculty. Learning is accomplished through academic work, workshops and seminars, personal observation and reflection, practical application, self-assessment, and performance evaluations. The commandant of cadets leads a team consisting of a deputy commandant and two assistant commandants.
