One day after the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduated its class of 2025, the Department of Transportation announced that academy superintendent Vice Adm. Joanna M. Nunan and deputy superintendent Rear Adm. David M. Wulf are departing and a search beginning for a new superintendent.
“This brings to an end their tenure committed to the quality of the midshipman experience at Kings Point,” according to a DOT statement. “Instrumental in forging a long-term agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in developing a comprehensive plan for campus modernization, Nunan’s and Wulf’s efforts leave Kings Point well-positioned to fulfill the Academy’s critical national-security mission and to thrive long into the future.”
“I thank Vice Admiral Nunan and Rear Admiral Wulf for their service to our Nation and to our midshipmen,” said Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, its critical mission, and its extraordinary midshipmen fully deserve the kind of dedication and commitment the superintendent and deputy superintendent brought to their roles at Kings Point.”
Speaking at the June 23 commencement, Duffy promised the DOT will make faster progress on plans Nunan and Wulf drew to address the academy’s long-deteriorating physical plant and infrastructure.
“I have long believed that I am the luckiest admiral I know,” Nunan said. “I have been privileged to play a role in the lives of some of America’s most inspiring young people as they became our finest future mariners.”
During the transition period and search for new leadership, retired Marine and Coast Guard Capt. Anthony J. Ceraolo, the academy chief of staff since 2023, is serving as acting superintendent.
