Patrick Dacey, President retired as a Lieutenant of County Detectives after spending 30 years in law enforcement. He earned an undergraduate degree from Jersey City State College and a Master’s Degree in human resources, design and training from Seton Hall University. His civilian career included work with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. In addition, he retired after 25 years from the reserve component of the United States Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He has had a lifelong interest in passenger ships and joined SSHSA in 1976 as a student member. A veteran of more than 90 voyages and crossings, he is also vice-chairman and former chairman of the board of the World Ship Society, Port of New York Branch. Prior to his election as President, he had also served as Vice-President as well as a committee chair for SSHSA.
CAPT James Zatwarnicki, Vice President graduated from SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Transportation Management and later earned a Master of Science in International Transportation Management. He holds a license as Master Unlimited Tonnage Upon Oceans and Master of Towing Vessels. Capt. Zatwarnicki actively sailed on his license from June of 2002 until he began working at the US Merchant Marine Academy in April 2018 as an Assistant Professor of Nautical Science. He has sailed on several types of vessels throughout his career including survey vessels, container ships, tugboats, military supply ships, and served as master of the USNS Gordon and USNS Shughart. He is very active with the Sea Scouting program, Boy Scouts of America, and has been affiliated with Ship 228, the Sea Dart II, in Rahway, NJ for 27 years.
Nicholas Langhart, Treasurer has a passion for maritime heritage and historic architecture. He currently serves as library director at The Forbush Memorial Library in Westminster, Massachusetts. Nick holds a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from Cornell University. Nick is an instructor for the Evolution of New England Architecture at Fitchburg State and has taught the History of Worcester’s Architecture at Clark University and Worcester State University. Prior to serving as a professional library director, he was Property Manager for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now better known as Historic New England. His expertise was instrumental in organizing the SSHSA library at the Ship History Center in 2015.
Dr. Andrew O. Coggins Jr., Secretary, is an internationally known cruise industry analyst based in New York. Dr. Coggins is a retired U.S. Navy Commander with over twenty-three years of service on seven ships. He has spoken at numerous conferences, and given interviews on issues and trends in the cruise and travel industries. He is also an active member of SKAL International and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), as well as international travel and tourism marketing and networking organizations. He currently teaches courses in cruise industry management at Pace University.
Board Members
CAPT Ben Lyons has spent his entire life captivated by ships and travel. After graduating from Groton School in Massachusetts, Ben decided to follow his passion and attended the US Merchant Marine Academy. In 2003, Ben was asked to join the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, then under construction in France. Consequently, he became the first (and still only) American officer hired in the company’s more than 170-year history. Ben served for five years onboard, leaving as the ship’s chief officer. Ben has also been an active travel writer with articles and reviews appearing in a wide range of guidebooks, magazines, and newspapers. After several years specializing in writing about expedition cruising, he traveled to Antarctica in 2007. Immediately, he fell in love with the seventh continent. Soon thereafter, he left Cunard to join Lindblad Expeditions to explore more of the world’s wild, polar regions. He sailed on National Geographic Endeavour and National Geographic Explorer, first as chief officer and later as captain.
“Bill” William H. Miller was a teacher and is the author of more than 40 books. He was chairman of the World Ship Society’s Port of New York Branch from 1970 to 1976, deputy director of the New York Harbor Festival Foundation from 1979 to 1982, historian at the Museum of the American Merchant Marine in 1979, and creator of a course entitled “The Ocean Liner” at the New School of Social Research in Manhattan in 1981. He also created the passenger ship database for the Ellis Island Museum and appeared in the documentary SS United States: Lady in Waiting. A documentary about his life and studies, Mr. Ocean Liner, premiered aboard RMS Queen Mary 2 on July 1, 2010.
Christian Roden currently works for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and has a wide range of professional experience in the museum, cultural heritage, and higher education sectors. He has designed and curated museum exhibits, and contributed to and appeared on the History Channel’s Secrets of the Lost Liners. He also publishes and lectures widely. Alongside scholars and experts from across Europe and North America, he participates in the Ocean Modern Advanced Research Group. He holds an MA in Material Culture studies from the University of Delaware, and a BA in English, art history, and studio art from Washington & Lee University with additional studies at St. Anne’s College, Oxford, and E’cole France Langue. After earning his BA he was selected Fulbright Research Fellow to France based at Association French Lines in Le Havre, where he immersed himself in everything related to the SS Ile-De-France. Christian and his partner Norman, live in Philadelphia and spend much of their spare time sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Darshell Silva is a Library and Media Specialist and Education Technology Consultant for various organizations. She holds a Master of Library and Information Studies degree, a School Library Media Specialist Certification, both from the University of Rhode Island, Blended Learning Certificate from Roger Williams University, and a Computer Science Teaching Certification. Darshell teaches information literacy, computer science, and maker education, among other duties. She has served on many educational organization boards as well as won numerous awards for her excellence in education. She comes from a long line of Cape Verdean stevedores and has worked with SSHSA to incorporate ship history project based learning lessons in her classroom.
Jordan Ventura holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is a Senior Professional Development Specialist and Instructional Designer at Bright Horizons. She is a professional instructional designer and training specialist with a strong background in virtual learning, onboarding, and content development. She has a proven ability to create engaging educational materials, as demonstrated by her last several years volunteering on the SSHSA’s Education Committee, and has experience in high-tech tools, such as maintaining LMS platforms, and in supporting diverse training initiatives. As a teacher and educator, Jordan has experience in both in-person and remote training facilitation, collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.Jordan’s interested in ships and maritime has a personal connection. Jordan has a passion for maritime history having grown up in the Great Lakes region and her brother’s love for ships exposed her to many maritime museums over the years, and her appreciation for the subject grew with time.
Kate Vescera is a lawyer and RMS Queen Mary afficionado who is also chairwoman of SSHSA’s Southern California Chapter. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international political economics and Russian in 2007, and a juris doctor from Pepperdine Law School in 2012 with a Master’s Degree in dispute resolution. She is currently a partner at TALG, Ltd. in Irvine, California. In addition to her work with SSHSA, Kate is also a mentor with Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe), a community-based mentoring, scholarship and college-access organization that encourages young women’s education and success. She also serves as an advisor of QMI Restore the Queen, which is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and protection of the Queen Mary. Kate has been an SSHSA member since 2014.
CAPT Mark Nemergut grew up in Connecticut, and when he was 9 years old, his parents set off on a cruise out of New York on American Export Lines SS Atlantic, which sparked Mark’s passion with ships, especially passenger ships. He went to New York Maritime College (Fort Schuyler) graduating in 1979 with a Bachelor Of Science degree in Marine Transportation Management and a USCG Third Mate’s license. Joining Masters, Mates & Pilots & rising thru the ranks, eventually attaining a USCG Unlimited Master’s license, he started his 30 year seagoing career as a deck officer sailing with all the US flagged companies, Farrell Lines, Lykes Lines, Delta Lines, United States Lines, Sea Land, Waterman Steamship, Aloha Pacific Cruises (SS Monterey), and for the final 18 years, permanent with American President Lines on containerships to Asia & the Middle East. Mark came ashore in 2010 and was the Norfolk Representative for Masters, Mates & Pilots for 14 years. His major area of interest (& collecting) is post war US flagged passenger ships (and cargo ships) with a focus on the SS United States.
CAPT Terry Tilton USN (Ret.) grew up on a farm in Iowa, but as a young man he longed for the sea. He attended and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, serving 25 years as a Naval Officer and completing a career qualified to command any ship in the Navy. He collects unique maritime artifacts, including one of the finest collections of ship builder’s plates. He is a researcher and author of several feature-length articles in PowerShips, most notably his extensive compilations on companies such as Ingalls Shipbuilding. He is also an active participant as researcher, author, speaker, and officer in the Southern California Chapter of SSHSA.
