SETX YPO Breakfast With The Boss 7.13.21

Description

MEMBERS ONLY EVENT
Ever wish you had the opportunity to sit down over a cup of coffee with the "Boss" and hear his/her story of success and failure? SETX YPO invites you to our morning Breakfast with The Boss event on Tuesday, July 13th with featured speaker: Commander James B. Suffern, United States Coast Guard.



Captain Molly Wike will be unable to attend the Breakfast with the Boss next week due to a last-minute conflict; however, Executive Officer – CDR James Suffern will be in attendance to represent the command. CDR Suffern is happy to speak about the Coast Guard’s roles and missions throughout SETX!
Commander Suffern currently serves as is the Executive Officer of Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, which includes the nation’s third-busiest commercial port, the third-largest petrochemical complex and busiest Strategic Port of Embarkation for Military Out-load operations in the United States. 131 personnel proudly serve at Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, including active-duty, civilians, Reservists and Coast Guard Auxiliary performing marine inspections, marine investigations, oil spill response, law enforcement, contingency planning, readiness, waterways management, vessel traffic management, administration, supply and medical service functions.

Prior assignments include serving as the senior Coast Guard representative to the Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet in Manama Bahrain where he played a crucial role in the development of the international security naval coalition, whose mission safeguarded maritime operations in the troubled waters of the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. He served at Coast Guard Headquarters in the Office of Defense Operations as lead for CG Global Force Management (GFM) where he coordinated DoD/CG interaction and managed USCG senior leadership decision-making process for defense contingency planning and force distribution. He served as Chief of Investigations at Activities Europe in Brunssum, Netherlands, overseeing the USCG's most unique international cases including the grounding and sinking of the MV COSTA CONCORDIA.

He was the officer in charge of the Redeployment Assistance and Inspection (RAID) Team at Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) where he worked with the U.S. Army's 595th Transportation Brigade and directed 26 members throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. CDR Suffern served as an International Port Security Liaison Officer (IPSLO) at Activities Europe in Rotterdam, Netherlands, conducting international port security visits, assessments and maritime security capacity-building activities in ports throughout Europe, Africa and Middle East. He served as a vessel inspector, and chief of planning and waterways management at Coast Guard's Sector Miami where he managed all modifications, compliance, exercise and evaluation for the area contingency and maritime security plans and the restructuring of the commercial vessel anchorage in Port Everglades, Florida. He started his Coast Guard career in New Orleans, with tours at Marine Safety Office New Orleans as a casualty investigator and with the Eighth District, as a Pollution Fund Administrator and a Response and Advisory Team (DRAT) member.
CDR Suffern holds two master's degrees, one from the Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College in military studies, and a second from the University of New Orleans in finance and business administration. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in finance. He is an October 1999 graduate from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Officer Candidate School in New London, Connecticut and is certified as a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, CDR Suffern has received the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and various unit awards. He is married to the former Kathryn Seymour of Virginia Beach, VA and has a blended family of four to include two sons, Brennan (20 years, and 2nd class cadet USCGA) and John (17 years), and two step-daughters, MacKenzie (17 years) and Gabriella (13 years).




SETX YPO is an organization of young professional between the ages of 21 and 40, living in Hardin, Jefferson and Orange Counties, interested in making a difference in their community and networking with other young professionals with similar interests.