Rear Admiral John A. Okon
Rear Admiral John A. Okon, USN (ret), is President of Maritime College. He was appointed by the SUNY Board of Trustees in June 2024 and assumed the leadership post in July 2024, becoming the 12th President of the College.
A native of Syracuse, NY, he is a retired Naval Officer with over 33 years of service. In the Navy, Rear Admiral Okon served as a Surface Warfare Officer, Meteorology and Oceanography Officer, and Information Warfare Officer. He commanded Naval Antisubmarine Warfare Center, Yokosuka, Japan; Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, Monterey, CA; and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Bay St. Louis, MS. He was also the Navigator of the Navy, Hydrographer of the Navy, and Oceanographer of the Navy.
Rear Admiral Okon graduated from Maritime College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and Oceanography, Naval Postgraduate School in 2003 with a Master of Science in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and Naval War College in 2007 with a Master of Arts in National Security Studies.
He is married to the former Valerie Gessner of Catskill, NY, Maritime College class of 1992.
A Message from the President
A Year of Progress and a Future Full of Promise 6/14/25
Dear Maritime College Family,
Greetings from Fort Schuyler!
As I approach the completion of my first year as your President, my resolve and commitment to THE Maritime College—First and Foremost—are stronger than ever.
From day one, I shared my priorities with you: ensuring our College is a national leader in maritime education and applied learning, growing enrollment, increasing retention, graduation, and license pass rates, expanding fundraising, maintaining fiscal strength, and cultivating a resilient maritime culture that honors our past while shaping our future. I am proud to say we are making steady progress on all fronts.
This past year has not been without its challenges. We've faced stiff currents, strong winds, and high seas. But in true Fort Schuyler fashion, we've faced them head-on—emerging stronger, more united, and reaching new heights together.
Among the many milestones and accomplishments, we've celebrated:
- 50th Anniversary of Women in the Regiment: In August 1974, we welcomed the first women into our Regiment. This past April, we were honored to have two trailblazers from the Class of 1978—Ms. Deborah Kravchuck and Ms. Karen Magliocca-Rocheteau—return to campus and share their experiences.
- 75th Anniversary of Our First African American Graduate: In May, we celebrated Carl F. Burnett ‘50, the first African-American graduate. In his honor, we established an annual Student Award to honor his legacy, courage, resiliency, tenacity, and toughness.
- 150th Anniversary of Our First Training Ship and MUGs: We marked the historic sail of the USS St. Mary's under Commander Stephen B. Luce in December and celebrated the arrival of the first 26 MUGs on January 11 at East 34th Street Wharf.
- Athletic Achievements: Our team, predicted to finish last in the NEWMAC Conference, defied expectations and nearly clinched the title—ultimately winning the Fusion Bowl, our first-ever postseason football victory! Student-athletes shattered records and earned Skyline Awards, ECAC Rookie of the Year honors, and All-American distinctions in lacrosse and baseball.
- Academic Excellence: Our Naval Architecture team won first place in the prestigious SNAME International Ship Design Competition, a remarkable honor for our emerging engineers; and Szu Yu "Charlotte" Chen from National Taiwan Ocean University earned second place at the Connecticut Maritime Association Conference for her exceptional research on macroeconomic impacts on the Baltic Dry Index.
- Campus Transformation: We launched a full campus rebranding effort, introduced updated logos and made aesthetic improvements. Major renovations will be completed this summer in the gym, turf field, scoreboard and dormitory lounges. Our new website is now live.
- Unprecedented Engagement: We raised over $1.2M at the Admirals Dinner, and hosted our first-ever Annual Giving Day, raising over $260,000.
- Increased Enrollment: We welcomed the largest group of prospective students and families in our history on Accepted Students Day. Enrollment projections for Fall 2025 continue to outpace last year in all categories of student -- new freshman, transfer, and graduate.
Through collaboration and shared governance, we developed both our Fiscal Stability Plan—accepted by the Chancellor in February, which is building back the financial backbone of the college—and our Strategic Plan, aptly named the Voyage Plan. Our strategic goals include:
- Positioning the College for greater success
- Strengthening academic excellence and innovation
- Enhance our Commitment to Student Success
- Elevate Student Life Experience
- Promote the College's Prominence
These accomplishments are significant, but our journey is far from over. We remain focused on our vision to be the world's foremost maritime educational institution—setting the standard in training, innovation, and leadership development for the global maritime industry.
Now, more than ever, our mission is urgent and with deep purpose. The recent release of the SHIPS Act and the White House Executive Order on Restoring America's Maritime Dominance has made it clear: our nation needs more critical-thinking leaders and licensed mariners. This is a national imperative—and our students, our region, and our country are counting on us, THE Maritime College family, to answer the call. If not us, then who?
Together, let's continue to show the global maritime industry – New York Maritime is First and Foremost!
With Utmost Respect and Appreciation,
John
RADM John A. Okon ’91, USN (ret), USMS
President