John sailed with MSC for 41 years retiring in 2022 having sailed as Chief Engineer unlimited horse power motor for 35 years of those 41 years.   He was the plank owner Chief Engineer aboard the USNS Big Horn with plank owner Captain Ed Nanartowich (1991), the USNS Laramie (1996) and the USNS Wally Schirra (2010).  He has deployed with these vessels along with many other vessels to the Mediterranean Sea, Northern Europe, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean, both coasts of South America, the Far East, and the Mid East.

John has taken vessels through extensive repair periods at all major shipyards on the East coast, West coast, and Gulf coast.   John brings a wide range of marine engineering experiences and multiple platform propulsion plant operational expertise including medium speed, slow speed, and high voltage diesel electric propulsion plants.

John and his wife Dorothy of 36 years have three adult children, Kaitlin a CPA, Jack, a middle school teacher, and Sean, a corporate accountant.  He and his wife share time in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Marco Island, Florida.

Michelle Ullrich joined Maritime Institute in 2021 as the Comptroller and Human Resources Manager. She has over 20 years of experience in both fields working for many different types of industries and government organizations. She had a difficult time trying to decide if she wanted to work in Accounting or Human Resources because she loves both fields equally. So, in addition to her bachelor’s degree in Accounting, she decided to earn her Certified Payroll Professional Certificate (CPP) to specialize in Payroll because it combines both areas of Accounting and Human Resources, and Michelle loves to educate people on payroll laws that they may not be aware of.

In addition to working in Accounting and Human Resources, Michelle has served as a member of the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician. She has, also, been an elementary school teacher in Japan, and a professional baker and cake decorator while living in Spain.

In her free time, Michelle loves to spend time with her 2 daughters, Alexis and Jasmine, and she loves traveling and attending concerts. She, also, enjoys volunteering and giving back to her community, and one fun fact is that Michelle started the first ever Girl Scouts Troop in Ewa Beach, Hawaii where she taught the girls many skills, one of which was cake decorating!

Lennie D. Walker was born in Vicksburg, Ms.

He is the father of six children and one grandchild and is married to Aisha N. Walker of Brooklyn, NY.

He is a retired Navy Veteran having served over 23 years as a Damage Controlman.

He retired at the rank of E7/ Chief Petty Officer.

He joined Mid Atlantic Maritime Academy in 2022 and enjoys instructing and teaching.

His interests are family, faith, food, Free Masonry, football, riding motorcycles and just about anything involving being outdoors.  His Motto is “One day at a time”.

Mike O’Neal joined the Maritime Institute in 2022 following the MI’s acquisition of Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy. He has been a maritime instructor and Information Technology manager for Mid-Atlantic for over 12 years. Prior to that he was a junior officer with the NOAA Commissioned Corps, serving a sea tour aboard the NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON after successfully completing NOAA Basic Officer Training Class at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He previously held an Able Seaman Special USCG license.

Mike O’Neal holds a B.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a B.S. in Cyber and Information Security from the East Coast Polytechnic Institute. He is an FAA-licensed Commercial Multi-Engine Airplane pilot and a volunteer aviator with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. In his spare time, he and his wife Tiffany operate Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 private foundation that provides a loving permanent home for special needs dogs and cats out on their farm in Suffolk, VA.

Richard Gordon, USMM Unlimited Master (Ret) joined TRLMI in 2021 as part of the merger between Training Resources Limited Maritime Institute and Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy, where he had been an instructor since his retirement from The American Maritime Officer’s Union in December of 2012. Richard is a “Hawsepiper”. He joined the Merchant Marine 1989 as an ordinary seaman on the old cruise ship “SS Constitution” at Pier 10 in Honolulu. He spent the next twenty-two years on numerous Deep-Sea vessels. He has sailed 2 years as an Ordinary Seaman, 4 years as an Able Seaman, 8 years as a licensed deck officer and 8 years as an Unlimited Master. For the past 10 years he has taught mainly Navigation and Ship Stability Courses.  When Richard is not teaching, he enjoys sailing (on somebody else’s boat these days), travel with his wife Trish and spending time with their children and grandchildren.

Mary Lou started working at Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) in 2014 in the Administration Department, Student Services.  She then got assigned to a Quality Assurance position and then as Executive Assistant.  She is now USCG & Quality Assurance for Maritime Institute.  Duties consist of tracking course approvals, renewals, course modifications, course expiration dates, instructor/proctor approvals, doing research for Coast Guard Inquiries, and auditing course folders.

Mary Lou retired from Civil Service as a GS-13 Personnel Management Specialist. All 38 years of her Civil Service Career were spent working in Personnel Offices.  She worked with the Defense Civilian Personnel System (DCPDS) from 1984 until she retired.  Last 13 years of Civil Service were spent at Military Sealift Command, where she and her staff were in charge of keeping 6000 mariner records up to date.  During her tenure at MSC she oversaw the consolidation of Bayonne, New Jersey and Oakland, California DCPDS Databases.

After retiring from Civil Service, she worked as a re-employed annuitant for Human Resource Service Center East for two and a half years.  This job consisted of running quality control reports on the DCPDS system to look for inconsistencies in data entry.  Breaks in system were reported to the computer facility in San Antonio, Texas.  User errors were reported to Department heads.

Mary Lou has a Batchelor’s Degree in Business from St. Leo College and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.

Melanie Rose Anaya is the Credential and Consulting Services advisor for the east coast division of Maritime Institute. Melanie began with Maritime Institute in Student Services and served as Military Liaison since coming onboard in 2020. Melanie distinguished herself and was acknowledged as the perfect individual to stand up credentialing services on the right coast.

Melanie is a Bronx, NY native and has made the Hampton Roads area her home for almost 20 years now. She was first brought down to Virginia with the Navy where she served aboard various at sea and on shore commands. Beginning her career as an Aviation Boatswains Mate and finishing her career as Command Career Counselor, all over the span of 15-years.

Upon transitioning out of the Navy she tended to her creative side by studying at the Paul Mitchell school of cosmetology to pursue barbering and ECPI to pursue her degree. But when given the opportunity to work closely with veterans and the maritime industry she knew she had found her place again.

Ronald J. McMiller Jr, CWO4, USN (Ret) joined Maritime Institute in 2021. A former Surface Warfare Officer and Enlisted Surface Officer with 28 years of active-duty service and over 20 years at sea as deck leading chief and ship’s Bosn. Ron is qualified as a OOD Underway on several platforms and Special Warfare Combatant Specialist. He served or deployed on various United Navy Warships, USS Pharris (1094), USS Churchill (DDG81), USS Gonzales (DDG66), USS Saipan (LHA2), USS Fort McHenry (LSD43), Command Naval Beach Group Two (CNB2) Training Officer, HSV2 Swift, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic (EWTGLANT) Training Officer, Special Boat Unit Twenty Four (SBU24) Auxiliary Repair, Maintenance Dry Dock One (ARDM-1). Ron is a retired NJROTC instructor where he holds a Virginia Teachers License.

His educational path is he is a graduate from the March 2004 LDO/Mustang class Pensacola, Fl. He earned an Associate Degree from Excelsior University in Education, completed Southern University Workforce Education and Development program; he also earned his Human-Resource Certification from Expert Rating along with a host of Naval qualifications.  He graduated from Excelsior collage earning his bachelor’s degree in business (with honors). At Maritime Institute East, Ron is the Deck Department Head, ensuring the smooth execution of deck classes and training evolutions. He is responsible for deck course scheduling, instructor assignments and instructors’ development. Ron teaches many of our deck courses and several navigational courses.

When he is not at Martine Institute, Ron enjoys painting, competing in barbeque, mentoring the youth, authoring books where he is an author of three. His most enjoyable moments are spending time with his family.

Timothy Ferron, EMCM(SW) (Ret) joined Mid Atlantic Maritime in 2019 as an Engineering Instructor. He brings 47 years of experience in the training and maritime industry. Tim served in the Navy for 27 years and concluded his career as the Director of Instructor Training School, Fleet Training Center Norfolk, VA. His sea duty included service on the USS Spartanburg County LST -1192, USS Donald B. Beary FF-1085, Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, USS Harlan County LST-1196, USS Saipan LHA-2, and The USS Mount Whitney LCC/JCC -20. He was a qualified Duty Engineer and Engineering Officer of the Watch on both Engine and Steam platforms. As an instructor he taught various courses at Electrical “C” Schools and Instructor Training/ Curriculum Development at FTC Norfolk. Additionally, he was a certified shipboard engineering operations and safety instructor, on all US Naval steam and engine platforms at Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

At Mid Atlantic Maritime he is certified to instruct various engineering courses which include: High Voltage Safety, OICEW/Instrumentation, OICEW/Electrical Machines and Basic Electronics, Motor Controller Trouble Shooting, QMED Electrical and Refrigeration and GWO BTT Electrical Training.

Prior to joining Mid Atlantic Maritime, Tim worked in various positions in the maritime, ship building and training industry.

Tim Ferron is a graduate of the US Naval Senior Enlisted Academy and earned an undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems from Saint Leo University. He is from Statesville, NC and has been happily married to his wife Sharon for 36 years. Tim and Sharon have two adult sons James and Ryan Ferron. In his free time Tim enjoys reading, golfing, and enjoying life.

Rob Swanbeck joined Mid Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA), now Maritime Institute with the TRLMI-MAMA merger, in 2014 shortly after retiring from Military Sealift Command (MSC). He graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY in 1980 after first pursuing pre-medical B.S. studies at Case Western Reserve University (1973-1976) in Cleveland, OH. He sailed with MSC in several capacities (3^rd Mate to Chief Mate) on several different platform types including oilers, T-AGOS, fleet tugs, and survey vessels from 1980 to 1987 before coming ashore with the MSC organization as Port Captain with the T-AGOS Project Office. After MSC’s reorganization he became Operations Manager for MSC’s PM23 Special Missions Support Office. He obtained his USCG Master, Steam & Motor Vessels, Any Gross Tons upon Oceans license in 1986. He spent a 30-year career in the Naval Reserve retiring in 2010 with the rank of Captain (O-6). He has had many teaching assignments during his naval career including shiphandling at the Amphibious School, Little Creek, VA and working with Midshipmen at the Naval Academy in the YP program in the capacity of Officer-in-Charge. Rob really enjoys teaching primarily to give back to younger generations coming up behind him. When he’s not teaching, he enjoys recreational boating, sailing, golfing, and reading.