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Ed Merkle Director of Port Security Virginia Port Authority CIVIC Class of 2006 President, CIVIC Board of Directors Co-Chair, Class of 2007

 

During Hurricane Irene, Ed Merkle was in the incident center working with his former colleagues in the US Coast Guard to minimize impact on the Port of Virginia, a multi-billion dollar economic engine for the Commonwealth.

Ed joined the Virginia Port Authority as Director of Port Security and Operations in 2004 when he retired from a 25-year career in the Coast Guard. During his last USCG tour, in the wake of 9/11, he was one of the senior captains of Sector New York, the Coast Guard's largest command. There he led Coast Guard efforts in the evacuation of Manhattan after the Northeast blackout and a barge explosion on Staten Island, one of the largest industrial accidents in the US.

Those unique experiences positioned him well for his duties in Hampton Roads where he's responsible for port security and emergency coordination which involves response and recovery from incidents.

Ed says of his work, "My favorite part of the job is the people I'm surrounded with. I feel like it's an honor and a privilege to work with them. Those individuals get it; they understand. They're public servants and cut from the same cloth as our teachers and nurses and military members are cut from.

"I guess I've got the best of both worlds. I've got a mission that I know is important, the people I work with know is important and the community knows is important. And I have the opportunity to work with people who are truly dedicated and devoted to what they do. You don't often find that in one job."

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