Trump Administration Selects Ceraolo as Next USMMA Superintendent

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has picked a longtime member of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy team to lead the college. Rear Adm. (sel) Tony Ceraolo, a Coast Guard veteran, has been promoted from chief of staff to the post of superintendent, formalizing an appointment he has held in an acting capacity since last year.

Capt. Anthony J. "Tony" Ceraolo (USCG, Ret'd) assumed command as acting superintendent of USMMA in July 2025, when his predecessor Vice Adm. Joanna Nunan announced her departure. Nunan, like Ceraolo a career Coast Guard officer, was the first woman in the role and had been at the helm since 2022.

Capt. Ceraolo - soon to be a Rear Admiral of the U.S. Maritime Service, the official title granted to the USMMA superintendent - is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a career cutterman. He commanded two cutters - a coastal patrol boat and a Great Lakes icebreaker - and served in a wide variety of policy roles on the service's D.C. staff. He helped create the first Department of Homeland Security Arctic Strategy, worked on Arctic region policy and counterpiracy for the National Security Council during the Obama administration, and served as a military assistant to Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters during the second Bush administration. In his final role at the Coast Guard, he served as executive assistant to Vice Adm. Pete Gautier, performing the role of chief of staff for the Deputy Commandant for Operations. He holds an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and an masters in strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

In addition, MARAD selected military language school administrator Dr. Johnathan Gajdos as provost. Before joining USMMA, Dr. Gajdos was the associate provost for undergraduate education at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), the Pentagon's constellation of institutes for language instruction. He previously oversaw the Farsi school and was an instructor in the German program. His doctorate and masters are in German linguistics, and he is a graduate of the Army's intermediate leader development program.

As provost, Dr. Gajdos will oversee USMMA's academic affairs, including curriculum and faculty.

“When I had the opportunity for a campus visit during the selection process for this position, I was immediately impressed by the dedicated faculty, the motivated midshipmen, and the skilled staff, fully embracing the Academy’s critical mission,” said Dr. Johnathan Gajdos, Provost at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Outgoing provost Rear Admiral John Ballard, Ph.D. departed in 2023 to lead the National Intelligence University. A nationwide search for a replacement was launched with plans for a final selection by June 2023. The job opening was re-posted in November 2024 and advertised again in mid-2025, with an advertised salary range of up to $210,000 per year.