Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams is Vice President, Maritime Policy at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Washington DC, where she develops, presents, negotiates, and implements global industry positions on legislative, regulatory, and policy matters involving ship design, operation and engineering. She is accredited to the International Maritime Organization where she represents the global cruise industry during international treaty negotiations and other matters. She is also the designated Secretary to the CLIA Global Committee on Maritime Safety Matters as well as the Cruise Ship Safety Forum and its Steering Committee.

Jennifer has diverse expertise in maritime safety, security and marine environmental protection. Having retired from the U.S. Coast Guard with nearly 30 years of service, she has held a variety of operational and staff positions which included Sector Commander Los Angeles/Long Beach where she served as Captain of the Port and Director of Inspections and Compliance in Washington DC, where she oversaw developed and maintained regulatory policy, standards, and program alignment for all prevention activities associated to the safe operation of vessels and facilities. She managed policy development for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, recreational boating safety, foreign and domestic commercial vessels compliance inspections, ports and facilities safety and security, vessel documentation, and marine casualty investigation.

She is a 2006 graduate of the National Graduate School in Quincy, Mass., where she received her Master of Science degree in Quality Systems Management, and a 1990 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation as well as her Third Mate’s Unlimited Tonnage U.S. Coast Guard License.