The State Board of Pilots
The Maryland State Board of Pilots consists of nine members, each serving 2-year terms. Of those nine members, one is the Secretary of the Department of Labor, or the designee of the Secretary; one is the President of the Association of Maryland Pilots; three are retired or licensed Pilots who have at least five years’ experience providing pilotage; two are members of the steamship industry who actively employ Pilots; one is a representative of the ship docking tugboat industry; and one is appointed to represent consumer interests. The Governor appoints each member with the advice of the Secretary.
State Board of Pilots Members
The State Board of Pilots currently consists of the following members:
Sandy Steeves, Esq., Chairman, Consumer member, Baltimore County
John Dove, Commissioner, Maryland Department of Labor, ex officio member
Captain Eric Nielsen, President, Association of Maryland Pilots, ex officio member
Captain Kevin Hanna, Licensed Pilot, Baltimore County
Captain Shimon Horowitz, Licensed Pilot, Howard County
Captain John Kinlein, Licensed Pilot, Baltimore County
Timothy Kassel, Steamship Industry member, Baltimore County
David Chenowith, Steamship Industry member, Baltimore County
Captain Michael Reagoso, Tugboat Industry member, Anne Arundel County
The Association of Maryland Pilots'
Board of Directors
Captain Eric A. Nielsen, President
Born and raised in Maryland, the President of the Association of Maryland Pilots, Captain Eric Nielsen - graduated as valedictorian in 1981 from the United States Merchant Marine Academy as a USCG-licensed Third Mate, and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He then sailed with the Exxon tanker fleet, eventually obtaining his Unlimited Ocean Master’s License and serving as Chief Officer on Exxon’s chemical tankers, the most demanding and complex ships in the Exxon fleet. Captain Nielsen joined the Association in 1989 after being selected for apprenticeship by the Maryland State Board of Pilots. Following his five-year mandatory training, he was fully licensed by Maryland to pilot the world's largest ships and became a senior member in the Association. In 1996, Governor Parris Glendening appointed Captain Nielsen to the State Board of Pilots.
In 2000 he was elected President of the Association of Maryland Pilots. As President of the Maryland Pilots, he follows Captain Michael R. Watson who, after serving nearly two decades with great success at the helm of the Association, Watson was elected nationally as President of the American Pilots' Association headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Serving with Captain Nielsen are:
Captain Noah Seiple, First Vice President / Operations and Management
Captain John Kinlein, Second Vice President / Navigation
Captain Eric Dankewicz, Treasurer / Marine Superintendent
Captain Christopher Wilson, Secretary / Information Technology
Captain Mark Baummer, Harbor Representative
