Lieutenant Commander Richard Russell, from Jamaica, has been named the new Director of Marine and Ports following the recommendation of the Bermuda Public Service Commission.

According to a Government spokeswoman, Lt Cdr Russell officially started work on July 28. He will be working under the policy direction of Permanent Secretary Francis Richardson, and will be responsible for the overall management and operation of the Department including the Pilot Service, Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre and the Ferry Service.

Lt Cdr Russell previously served as the Lieutenant Commander of the Jamaican Coast Guard and, during his time there, he also served as the Jamaican representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

His resume also includes working with the Jamaican Maritime Authority, where he played a role in establishing Jamaica’s Port State Control Regine, and served on committees dealing with issues such as port and ship security, fisheries matters and the marine environment.

The spokesman added that Lt Cdr Russell was also head of Jamaica’s delegation to the Marine Environment Protection Committees (MEPC) and Ship Design and Equipment Sub Committee (DE) meetings of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) headquartered in London, England.

He is a trained maritime security officer as per the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and is also qualified as a maritime auditor/lead auditor in respect of the International Ship Management (ISM) Code.