BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John O’Keeffe serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Waterson Terminal Services. John joined WTS from Blue Water Shipping, where he was Head of Renewables, Americas. John started in offshore wind with Deepwater Wind, where he served as Manager of Operations & Maintenance and Head of Marine Affairs for the company. His portfolio included overseeing the Block Island Wind Farm, the United States’ first offshore wind farm. Following Deepwater’s acquisition by Ørsted, the Danish energy company, John served as Head of Marine Affairs North America for Ørsted Offshore Wind. Before his career in offshore wind, John spent well over a decade as a professional mariner, deck officer, teacher, and captain. He has also worked for several maritime organizations, including the Sea Education Association (SEA) in Massachusetts and Port Captain at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in St Georges, Bermuda. John is an eight-year veteran of the United States Army, where he served as a sergeant in armored reconnaissance. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Southern Vermont College and a graduate degree from the University of Rhode Island’s Marine Affairs program. He also earned a Certificate in Leadership for Global Business and Politics from the Yale School of Management Executive Education. John was the recipient of the Propeller Club of Narragansett Bay Maritime Person of the Year Award in 2019. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island, Rhode Island Flagship and is currently the VP of the Narragansett Bay Propeller Club. John has represented himself on numerous offshore wind committees, interviews and speaking engagements.

Dr. Austin Becker is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. His research and teaching focus on coastal resilience and adapting to climate change. Prior to becoming a professor, he worked on sail training vessels, including five years as captain of the Sloop Providence. He is a Sloan Foundation Research Fellow in Ocean Sciences, earned a PhD in Environment and Resources at Stanford University, and maintains his 500 Ton USCG Captain’s License.

Capt Robert C. Glover III has served professionally in the Tall Ship and Tugboat Industry since
1974. Mr. Glover is a 1982 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy. Starting out as a Galley
Assistant at the age of 14 and working his way up to the position of Sailing Master by the age of
28 years old. He holds a USCG License as Master of Steam, Motor and Aux Sailing Vessels, up
to 1600GRT, upon Oceans; Master of Towing Vessels upon Oceans and Western Rivers and
Third Mate Unlimited Tonnage upon Oceans. Mr. Glover has sailed aboard two masted
schooners, square riggers, salvage tugs and harbor tugs having sailed over 154,000 nautical miles
aboard these vessels. Mr. Glover served 5 years as a delegate to the International Maritime
Organization in London, UK. On behalf of the Dominica Maritime Registry he served as a flag
state safety and hull inspector on tugs, barges and ships up to 100 meters.

From 2006 to 2016 Mr. Glover served as a USCG National Maritime Center approved maritime
instructor and lead marine simulator instructor at Northeast Maritime Institute in Fairhaven MA.
Since 2019 he has been a member of the USCG NMC Deck Examination Review Team
evaluating relevancy of license deck questions for professional mariners.

Mr. Glover has served at the management level of tall ship operations, restorations and new ship
construction, having served as an Executive Director of two non-profit organizations for 6 1/2
years. Mr. Glover has served as a Board Member with the Tall Ships America, and Sail
Baltimore. Mr. Glover is occasionally called upon for advice and consul from the maritime
industry speaking at seminars, conferences and serving as an expert witness during legal cases.

Currently Mr. Glover works full-time for R&W Rope in New Bedford MA, serving the
Traditional Tall Ship and wooden boat Industry as a Rigging and Marine Hardware Specialist
since 2016.

With 42 years of marriage under his keel with his wife Becky, they have 2 grown Sons, each
married, each with a child, making us very honored grandparents. The one unusual thing nobody
believes about him?; He collects and owns the full official list of LEGO STAR WARS
MILLENNIUM FALCONS produced since 2004.

Lisa retired from owning a national award winning and published interior design firm. As a member of the USCG Auxiliary , she teaches boating safety and is National Branch Chief of Academics for their Auxiliary University Program. She hold a USCG 200 ton Ocean license. When not sailing tall ships, she single hands a 30 ft. Cape Dory cutter, bringing along with her two boat kitties. Lisa has been a volunteer on OHP since 2015.

Dr. Catherine Piccoli is a RI native, sailing since the age of 9. She has returned to RI after a career as Director of Breast Imaging both at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and later at South Jersey Radiology Associates. She is winding down her radiology career at Newport Hospital. She owns a 46’ Cambria which she and her partner sail along the Northeast Coast. She became involved in OHPRI as a founding donor to the Virginia Wagner Scholarship Fund. Captain Wagner, her partner’s sister, was highly regarded as a tall ship and yacht captain. The scholarship is dedicated to provide opportunities for young women exploring careers in the maritime industry.