FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Elizabeth B. Simmons, LPD, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 508-830-6683, esimmons@maritime.edu

Nicole Joy Hales, PRfirst, 617-947-7983, nhales@prfirst.com

Massachusetts Maritime Academy to Honor Liz Burdock, CEO of Oceantic Network, as Maritime Person of the Year with Emery Rice Medal

BUZZARDS BAY, MA, ISSUED JULY 22, 2024… Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, will honor Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of Oceantic Network, as Person of the Year during an October 26 event to be held on the Academy’s campus.

The Academy has an established tradition of honoring a civilian or military leader with a distinguished career of excellence, innovation, and service to the maritime industries and other related industries with the Emery Rice Medal, named for an 1897 Academy graduate and WWI hero. Captain Rice was twice recognized by President Theodore Roosevelt for his maritime skill and bravery.

Burdock co-founded the Baltimore-based Oceantic Network – the premier member-based organization dedicated to growing the offshore wind and other ocean renewable industries and their supply chains – in 2013. With a deep background in policy, she has led the Network,  launching the International Partnering Forum, the largest offshore wind conference in the Americas; delivered critical offshore industry products and services, including Supply Chain Connect, the Offshore Wind Market Dashboard, and Foundation 2 Blade training; and remains a thought leader advancing the development of the U.S. offshore wind industry and domestic supply chain.

With extensive experience in running public/private partnerships, Burdock has focused her career on convening and coordinating diverse stakeholders, including businesses, academics, government agencies, policy makers, community leaders, workforce organizations and strategic investors, to develop sound solutions that facilitate the implementation of clean energy in the U.S. Prior to the Network, Burdock managed Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, a White House initiative that focused on the adoption of new sustainable technologies in the home building industry.

Burdock holds a degree in sociology from Frostburg State University and is a graduate of Leadership Maryland. She has been featured in numerous energy-related publications including ReCharge, reNEWS, and RTO Insider, as well as the Baltimore Sun, Forbes, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal. 

“I am honored to receive the 2024 Maritime Person of the Year Award,” said Burdock. “I have dedicated my career to protecting the environment through the advancement of clean energy, and our maritime partners are already proving to be a key part of our nation’s clean energy future. Every offshore wind project requires a host of specialized vessels and dozens of skilled technicians. Each of these massive construction projects are bringing jobs, training and investment to maritime companies and communities across the East and Gulf Coasts. Thank you to Massachusetts Maritime Academy for recognizing the importance of offshore wind energy and its contributions to the domestic maritime industry.”

The Emery Rice Medal has been awarded to a select group of maritime professionals. Past honorees of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Person of the Year have included admirals, captains, CEOs, and leading maritime executives from around the globe.

Details, registration, and sponsorship opportunities for the October 26^th Maritime Person of the Year event can be found at https://www.maritime.edu/alumni-friends/events/maritime-person-of-the-year.

“We are delighted to award the Emery Rice Medal to Liz Burdock, not only for her significant contributions to the maritime industry, but also for embodying the very principles we teach at the Academy – leadership, ethics, business sense, and respect for the ocean environment,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “We look forward to honoring her during our October 26^th ceremony.”

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA): MMA is a fully accredited, co-educational, state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared students for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation's finest maritime university, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Follow MMA on FB:  @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

About Oceantic:  As a non-profit organization, the Oceantic Network’s driving purpose is to inform, coordinate, and mobilize human ingenuity, enterprise, and labor to take advantage of the urgent need to tap the vast offshore wind and renewable energy resources that lie in the world’s oceans. The collective, coordinated efforts of our 500+ members equip communities and nations to accelerate the transition to clean energy and create economic opportunities.