Who we are
Griffin Maritime Strategies is a maritime consultancy focused on the art and science of safe navigation, the efficient movement of maritime commerce, and effective integration with other shared uses in the maritime domain.
With an emphasis on navigation and shiphandling expertise, we develop and implement strategies to deconflict the maritime domain, maximizing its safe use and the viability of large-scale commercial projects.
Griffin Maritime Strategies has expertise in managing the intersection of maritime commerce with many other stakeholder interests, including:
- Offshore renewable energy production
- Submarine cable and pipeline areas
- Commercial and recreational fisheries
- Military uses
- Severe weather planning and resiliency
- Local, state, and federal regulatory concerns
Since the inception of Griffin Maritime Strategies in 2021, the firm has supported offshore wind developers and shipping companies through direct marine affairs support, permitting document review and analysis, educational and simulation planning and implementation, stakeholder outreach, logistics and project management, and other efforts.
Balancing the needs of various ocean and estuary users and finding common ground through thoughtful inquiry, dialog, and engagement is the hallmark of Griffin Maritime Strategies’ approach to project management.
About the Principals:
Captain Stuart Griffin has worked in the Maritime Industry for more than three decades. Since graduating from S.U.N.Y. Maritime College at Fort Schuyler with a degree in Meteorology and Oceanography, he has sailed on American-flagged merchant ships as a deck officer and continues a career spanning more than twenty-five years as a Delaware River and Bay Pilot.
During his tenure on the Delaware River, Captain Griffin served internally on the Board of Directors of the Pilots’ Association from 2009 to 2013. From 2017 to 2021, he served as Chairman of the Mariners’ Advisory Committee for the Bay and River Delaware (MAC), which is the Harbor Safety Committee for the Delaware River Port Complex, its tributaries, and approaches.
In his capacity as MAC Chairman, Captain Griffin worked diligently to further the interests of safe navigation on the Delaware Bay and River, as well as in the near-coastal space and port approaches. Combining navigation and technical expertise with a keen understanding of the regulatory and policy framework underpinning our nation’s Marine Transportation System has enabled Captain Griffin to help guide many projects to a safe, efficient, and successful outcome.
Captain Jonathan Kemmerley has over twenty-five years of experience in the maritime industry. He has been a pilot for the Pilot’s Association for the Bay and River Delaware since 1998 and served as Chairman, Mariners’ Advisory Committee 2013–2016, and Association President 2017–2020. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors, PhilaPort, the Port of Philadelphia; the Managing Board, USCG Area Maritime Security Committee; and the Board of Directors, Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River & Bay.
Captain Kemmerley received his BS in Marine Transportation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1995, and served for eight years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Geoff Wagner is a dual-license mariner with over two decades of experience in the global maritime and offshore energy industries. His expertise in contracts, procurement, sales, and brokerage supports Griffin Maritime Strategies’ goal of providing additional product lines that add value to client projects.
Geoff held various leadership positions at Helix Energy Solutions Group, Atwood Oceanics, and Transocean, where he played a pivotal role in managing complex procurement and supplier relationships within the offshore energy industry. Geoff’s expertise includes contract negotiation and mitigation of commercial risks, as well as driving growth through new business opportunities and strategic partnerships.
Geoff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering and Nautical Science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA with
a concentration in strategy and finance from Rice University.
Affiliated Consultants
Griffin Maritime Strategies has built a trusted team of affiliated consultants with a diverse range of training and expertise. These subject matter experts stand ready to support your project goals and include, among others:
- Policy support at the local, state, regional, and federal levels
- Dynamic positioning, drilling operations expertise
- Port security
- Tugs and towing
- Cable and pipeline conflicts
- Engineering
- Helicopter operations in the maritime domain