Brian Hill serves as the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Director of
the Western Gulf Gateway Office based in Houston, Texas, since late 2011.
As MARAD’s Western Gulf Gateway Director, Brian’s area of responsibility
includes all the ports, waterways, and intermodal connections and corridors
in Texas and Oklahoma. In this position, the Gateway Director works with
local Texas and Oklahoma ports and other intermodal industries and
responsible agencies, to improve and strengthen the U.S. marine
transportation system. Brian retired as a Coast Guard Commander and
brought a diverse maritime transportation, port security, regulatory,
planning, and maritime/admiralty law background to the U.S. Department of
Transportation and MARAD.
Brian’s most recent position prior to MARAD with the U.S. Coast Guard
was as the Chief of the Eleventh Coast Guard District’s Ports, Waterways
and Coastal Security Section from 2006 to 2011. In this position, he
oversaw overall planning for the port security mission in all ports in
California, including Los Angeles/Long Beach, San Diego, and San
Francisco/Oakland. His duties also included ensuring waterside security
protection for military outload vessels loading equipment in California ports
in support of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and planning with
DOD and federal partners for joint operations.
Brian is also an experienced maritime law and Coast Guard (JAG) attorney.
Among other positions, he served as a Coast Guard attorney in their
Seventh District Office in Miami where he worked in maritime law cases,
environmental crimes, and maritime security issues. Brian also worked
several years as a Maritime and Admiralty Law attorney with a large law
firm in Miami. During this time, he became one of only 56 attorneys in
Florida that is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a Specialist in Admiralty
and Maritime Law. After a few years with the law firm representing shipping
and port facility interests, he returned to active duty with the Coast Guard
until his retirement.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Government from Florida International
University, a law degree (J.D.) from the St. Thomas University School of
Law in Miami, and a master’s degree in Security Studies (Homeland
Defense and Security) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey,
CA.