President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s 134th Commencement Exercises on Wednesday, May 20.

Commencement is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Cadet Memorial Field at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Presidents traditionally address the graduating class at one of the federal service academies on a rotating basis. President Obama addressed the U.S. Military Academy class of 2014 at West Point last year.

"It is a tremendous honor for us to host the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States at our academy to present commissions to the graduating class,” said Coast Guard Academy Superintendent Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz. “This is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase the academy and the city of New London to an international audience.”

Inclement weather plans call for the graduation to be held in the Leamy Hall Auditorium, where seating will be limited.

David Krapf retired in 2024 after serving as editor of WorkBoat, the nation’s leading trade magazine for the inland and coastal waterways industry, since 1999. During his tenure, Krapf oversaw the editorial direction of the publication, shaping its reputation as an industry leader. Krapf's career in publishing began in 1987 as a reporter and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the Houston area. He also served as the editor of a transportation industry daily in New Orleans before joining WorkBoat as a contributing editor in 1992. With a career spanning decades, Krapf has been covering the transportation industry since 1989. He holds a degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Oswego and studied journalism at the University of Houston.