Joe Brown, a long-time member of American Maritime Officers and Great Lakes Representative, has been appointed National Vice President, Inland Waters, by the AMO National Executive Board. Brown will complete the term of Danny Robichaux, who is now serving as AMO National Executive Vice President.
Brown sailed for three decades on the Great Lakes, with twenty years as a member of AMO. He holds an unlimited master’s license and his last ship before coming ashore to work for the union was the steamer Wilfred Sykes. He started work as a boarding representative on the Lakes in 2019 and was later promoted to National Assistant Vice President, Great Lakes, before accepting the post as National Vice President, Inland Waters.
Brown earned his license through the hawsepipe and holds a bachelor’s degree in logistics management from Robert Morris College.
The union’s National Executive Board has hired two new boarding representatives to fill vacant positions. Alex Butler is the union’s West Coast Representative and Peter Kinsey is the Great Lakes Representative.
Butler is a 23-year member of AMO and has spent the past 16 years working onboard U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force ships Keystone State, Gem State and Grand Canyon State, where he last sailed as Captain on his unlimited master’s license.
Butler started out with AMO on passenger ships in Hawaii and enjoyed tramping on heavy-lift ships as a Second Mate. He served in sealift missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He found working with the U.S. military in support of our troops to be deeply gratifying and has continued working in partnership with the U.S. Armed Forces throughout his career.
He graduated from California Maritime Academy in 2001 and returned to earn his master’s degree in transportation and engineering management with a focus on humanitarian disaster management in 2019.
Kinsey has been a member of AMO for ten years. After graduating from high school, he sailed as a Wiper in the Gulf of Mexico, then attended Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Upon graduation in 2014, he started his career with AMO onboard the Walter J. McCarthy Jr.
Kinsey worked in various relief jobs on the Lakes before becoming permanent on the M/V Buffalo. His other permanent assignments included the M/V Indiana Harbor, M/V Sam Laud, M/V St. Clair and the M/V American Integrity. While sailing as Second Mate on the M/V St. Clair, he also attended graduate school and earned a master’s degree in English from Southern New Hampshire University. Kinsey holds an unlimited master’s license with master of towing.