July Nav Ops & Harbor Safety Meeting

John Cameron, Captain, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)
Executive Director, Charleston Branch Pilots Association
As Executive Director of the Charleston Branch Pilots since 2009, Captain Cameron directs harbor
pilot operations serving all trade through the Port of Charleston, and manages government and
industry affairs.
Captain Cameron's 23-year Coast Guard career focused on port safety and security. Assignments
included Chief of Marine Safety for the Port of New York, and on 9/11, he was assigned to the
New York City Mayor’s staff to coordinate port security and marine operations. During the IranIraq War, he served as the lead inspector for the Kuwaiti National Oil Tanker Fleet. His final tour
prior to retiring was as Sector Commander and Captain of the Port, Charleston, where he led all
Coast Guard operations in South Carolina and Georgia.
Captain Cameron is appointed by the Governor to the South Carolina Emergency Response
Commission, by Senator Lindsay Graham to his Homeland Security Coalition, and by Senator
Tim Scott to his Veterans Advisory Committee. He serves on the Boards of Trustees of the
Coast Guard Foundation, and of the Maritime Association of South Carolina, and has served on
the Executive Board of the American Salvage Association. Locally, he is a past President of the
Propeller Club of Charleston.
Captain Cameron is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and the Graduate
School of the University of Michigan.

Taylor Jackson joined MASC in 2023 after serving as a Board of Director. She brings a wealth of knowledge regarding logistics and supply chain as well as a vast network of industry connections. She started her career in logistics over ten years ago and participates in a number of waterfront organizations.

Brent joined Heritage Foundation after a 26 year Navy career
with numerous operational tours on nuclear powered
submarines in the Pacific, personal staffs of senior Defense
Department leaders, and as a military diplomat in Asia. As a
senior research fellow, his focus is on maritime security and the
technologies shaping our future maritime forces, especially the
Navy. In 2023, he authored a book detailing a new naval
statecraft in U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century.
A native of Springfield, Virginia, he graduated with honors from
the United States Naval Academy in 1994 with a degree in
Systems Engineering (robotics) and a minor in Japanese. As an
Olmsted Scholar in Tokyo, Japan from 2004 to 2007, he studied
at Keio University, Jochi University and the United Nations
University. He has a M.A. from Jochi University and M.S. from
National War College where he graduated with distinction in
2011 receiving several writing and research awards.
In 2011, he helped establish the Navy Asia Pacific Advisory Group (NAPAG), providing regionally
informed comprehensive advice directly to Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO). He again served on the
CNO’s personal staff in 2015-2016, advising on the Asia-Pacific and as the CNO’s representative to the
Deputy Secretary of Defense in developing the Defense Department’s Third Offset.
At Pacific Command from 2012-2015, he held numerous key positions. As lead for Maritime Strategy and
Policy, he incorporated all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) into the first regional
maritime domain awareness forum; and, was instrumental in developing the $500 million dollar
Maritime Security Initiative. As Special Advisor on Japan, and a Council of Foreign Relations International
Affairs Fellow in Tokyo, he played a key role in revising the U.S. and Japan Defense Guidelines. As Deputy
Director Strategic Synchronization Group, he oversaw a think-tank like body of over 30 advisors and
analysts. Lastly, he was the Commander’s representative to the Deputy Secretary of Defense responsible
for developing and coordinating execution of the President’s Defense Strategic Guidance—Rebalance to
the Asia-Pacific resulting in over $12 billion USD of additional monies budgeted in fiscal years 2013
through 2015 during a time of fiscal austerity.
Following his final tour on CNO’s staff, Brent returned to Asia as Senior Defense Official, Defense and
Naval Attaché in Malaysia. During his tenure he played a key role in coordinating responses to the USS
McCain collision in August 2017, opened several politically sensitive ports and airfields to U.S. forces,
oversaw unprecedented expansion of U.S. military relations, and steadied relations during the historic
May 2018 national elections ushering in an opposition party for the first time since independence.
He is married to the former Yulia Polyakova and has two daughters: Sophia and Vivienne.