Rear Admiral Shepard M. Smith is the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Coast Survey Director. He is the 30th leader of the agency since the first superintendent, Ferdinand R. Hassler, was appointed in 1816. Rear Adm. Smith also serves as a presidentially-appointed member of the Mississippi River Commission, which oversees navigation and flood control projects on the largest river system in the United States. He is also the chair of the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) Council, which comprises 30 leading IHO member nations.