Sean Connaughton was nominated by President
George W. Bush to be the Maritime Administrator
on June 28, 2006. He was confirmed by the
Senate on August 3, 2006 and sworn into office
on September 6, 2006.
Sean graduated from the United States Merchant
Marine Academy in 1983 with a Bachelor of
Science degree, a Third Mates (Unlimited
Tonnage) Merchant Marine license, and a
commission in the United States Coast Guard. He
served on active duty in the United States Coast
Guard from 1983 to 1986.
After leaving active duty, Sean briefly worked
for a defense contractor in Arlington, Virginia.
He returned to the Coast Guard as a civil
servant in the Office of Marine Safety,
Security, and Environmental Protection at Coast
Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. During
this time, Sean attended Georgetown University
on a part-time basis and graduated with a
Masters degree in 1988.
In 1988, Sean began working at the American
Petroleum Institute representing companies
involved in the energy and marine transportation
industries. He attended law school at night at
George Mason University School of Law. Sean
graduated with his law degree in 1992 and passed
the Virginia State Bar later that year.
Sean embarked on a career as a lawyer in private
practice specializing in maritime and
international law. He and a colleague appeared
before the United States Supreme Court in 1999
to argue Intertanko v. Locke, a case
involving the constitutionality of laws imposed
on the marine transportation industry. They won
that case in a unanimous decision. Sean has
published many articles on marine transportation
and environmental issues as well as spoken at
numerous conferences and seminars on these
topics. He joined the law firm of Troutman
Sanders LLP at the end of 2000. He is a member
of the Virginia Bar Association, the District of
Columbia Bar Association, and the Maritime Law
Association.
Sean was elected Chairman At-large of the Prince
William County Board of Supervisors in November
1999. He was re-elected to a second four-year
term, beginning January 1, 2004. Sean served on
numerous regional boards and commissions,
including the Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments and the Northern Virginia
Transportation Authority. In 2004, he was
recognized by the National Association of
Counties with its Distinguished Service Award
for his efforts on workforce development
programs. He resigned his elected position on
September 6, 2006.
After serving on active duty in the United States
Coast Guard, Sean joined the United States Naval
Reserve as a selected reserve in 1986. Serving
in both operational and staff billets, he
retired in 2006. Sean graduated (with honors)
from the U.S. Naval War College in 1998. He was
awarded the Naval War College’s Franklin
Reinauer II Defense Economic Prize.
Sean was named the “2007 Maritime Person of the
Year” by the Propeller Club of the United
States. He was awarded the “2007 Government Man
of the Year” by the Maritime Port Council of
Greater New York and Vicinity. In 2007, he was
awarded an honorary doctorate in Public
Administration from the Massachusetts Maritime
Academy.
Sean currently resides in Triangle, Virginia,
with his wife, Teresa, and their two children,
Courtney and Sean, Jr.
