Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy (retired), is co-chair of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.  He recently served as Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.  The Commission, authorized by Congress in the Oceans Act of 2000, included 16 members appointed by the President.  The Commission, tasked with recommending a new, comprehensive national ocean policy to the Congress and the President, issued the report report, entitled “An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century” in September, 2004.  The President responded positively with his “U.S. Ocean Action Plan” in December of that year.

Prior to his appointment to the Ocean Commission, Admiral Watkins served as President of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI), in Washington, D.C., from September 1993 until October 2000. In September 1994, Admiral Watkins led this historic effort, with an initial thirteen academic institutions, to establish and expand partnerships among all U.S. marine institutions, which now number over 80.  The effort resulted in a public-private corporation known as the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, or CORE.  In September 1996, as a result of CORE’s efforts, Congress authorized and funded the National Oceanographic Partnership Act which implemented a new, broad ocean science and technology agenda for the nation.  Admiral Watkins served seven years as founding President of CORE, stepping down in March 2001 to join the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.

Admiral Watkins was awarded honorary doctor of science degrees from the College of William and Mary and Oregon State University in 1999.  In March 2001, he was given the title of President Emeritus of CORE, and was awarded the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy for his contributions to the nation in ocean science and technology matters.

Prior to his oceanographic work, Admiral Watkins served as the sixth Secretary of Energy under President George H.W. Bush, and also served as Chief of Naval Operations under President Ronald Reagan.  Admiral Watkins is a native of California and a 1949 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.