Marine Exchange of Alaska

Captain Ed Page, Executive Director

Direct Line: (907) 463 5078

Captain Page is a 1972 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who served in the Coast Guard for 29 years after graduation in a variety of operational assignments including as a deck officer sailing Atlantic, Pacific and Alaska waters,  commanding officer of LORAN Station Iwo Jima, and various marine safety and vessel operations assignments on the West Coast and Alaska, including serving as the Captain of the Port and Group Commander at the Port of Los Angeles Long Beach.  He subsequently served as the Chief of Marine Safety and Environmental Protection for Coast Guard Pacific Area.  He retired from the Coast Guard in 2001 and founded the Marine Exchange of Alaska in Juneau.  Ed has lived in Alaska for 20 years and is an avid kayaker, skier and hiker. 

Captain Bill Benning, Chief Technical Officer

Direct Line (907) 463 3937

Bill is a 23 year graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard. He served as a Communications Technician (Radioman) onboard the Icebreaker WESTWIND and Buoytender BITTERSWEET, as a Distress Communications Technician at Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and Coast Guard Group Southwest Harbor, Maine, as a Communications Center Section Supervisor on the Commander Seventeenth Coast Guard District Staff in Juneau, Alaska, as the Communications Supervisor at Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Alaska, as the Communications and Security Officer at Marine Safety Office Philadelphia, PA, and finally as the Communications Manager for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska. Bill has been a Licensed Merchant Marine Officer since 1994 and he currently holds a 100 Ton Masters License. He has been on staff at the Marine Exchange of Alaska since December of 2001.

Brett Farrell, Assistant Director

Direct Line (907) 463 4640

Brett joined the Marine Exchange in April 2006 after a career that spanned more than 21 years in the Coast Guard. Brett served in various afloat shipboard engineering assignments. Two of those assignments were aboard the Coast Guard cutter STORIS in Kodiak and on the Coast Guard cutter ALEX HALEY homeported in Kodiak as well. He also served at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Port Arthur, Texas and on the staff of the Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District in Juneau.

Don Bodron, Special Projects Manager

Direct Line (907) 463 1290

Don is a 1967 graduate of the New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler. He served 28 years in the U.S. Coast Guard with various engineering assignments onboard high endurance and medium endurance Coast Guard cutters. He held different assignments in the Marine Safety Program in Seattle, Washington, Anchorage, Alaska and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He served as Captain of the Port and Officer in Charge Marine Inspection in San Juan Puerto Rico and as Officer in Charge Marine Inspection in Houston Texas. He also was Chief of the Marine Safety Division of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska and Marine Safety Advisor to the Panama Canal Commission before retiring from the Coast Guard in 1995.

Leo DeMeo, Maritime Information Specialist

Direct Line (907) 463 3064

Leo served 20 years in the US Army with a variety of assignments including communications systems installation and repair, maintenance management, and security management. After retiring in 1995 he moved to Juneau where he worked 8 years for the State of Alaska in various positions including Alaska Marine Highways reservations, travel claims settlement, and computer help desk with the Alaska State Legislative Affairs Agency. Looking for more fun in his jobs he left State employment and worked as a construction laborer, a parts manager for an electrical contractor, and an office manager for a whale watching company before bringing his “Renaissance Man” set of skills to work with the Marine Exchange of Alaska in December of 2004. Leo is an avid sport fisherman who spends an average of 30 days a year on the water fishing for King crab, halibut, rockfish, salmon, and shrimp. Leo received his Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis on Computer Information Systems degree in 2004 from the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau.

John Adams, Business Manager

Direct Line: (907) 463 3159

The son of an Alaska fisherman, John was born on Fidalgo Island and educated in California. After graduation from UC Santa Barbara he served in the Navy as fire marshall on a frigate and then navigator of a cruiser - once spending 122 straight days at sea. John worked on fishing boats in Dutch Harbor and coordinated the Qawalangin Tribe's clean-up of WWII hazards under the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program. Sailing east in 2003, he served on the Kodiak Maritime Museum board of directors until shifting homeports to Juneau. He signed on with the Marine Exchange in February 2008. John enjoys fishing and kayaking with his Chief Mate, Danielle, reading maritime history and fiction, and swapping sea stories … even the true kind.

Steve Lanwermeyer, Assistant Technical Officer

Telephone: (907) 463 3986

Steve joined the Marine Exchange staff in the summer of 2008 after helping to coordinate the installation of an AIS site at the Cape Decision Lighthouse on Kuiu Island. He continues to serve on the board of directors for the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society as they work to preserve the maritime heritage of southeast Alaska. In addition to his work on the operations side of MXAK, Steve is also a lead instructor for the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS and likes to work seasonally as a fly fishing and rafting guide. Steve holds a BA in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound and recently completed prerequisite work at the University of Alaska Southeast for a Physician Assistant graduate program.

Tor Wallen, Manager Compliance Programs

Telephone: (907) 463 1290

Tor has watched all sorts of ships coming and going from his family’s waterfront home since childhood. Born in Bangkok but a native of Juneau, he began working for the cruise and tourism industry in high school and returned as a seasonal employee every summer during his college years.  He worked his way up through the ranks from Ship’s Agent Assistant, rising to assume the duties of Facility Security Officer for Princess Cruises and Tours after 9/11.  In college he held internships at the White House and the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC.  In 2005, he joined the Shore Operations department, as Port Operations Supervisor for Princess Cruises assigned to Florida and Alaska, followed by onboard stints with Costa Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises cruising the Mediterranean, North Africa, Caribbean and Alaska.  He most recently was with Lockheed Martin, as a Trusted Agent, working on the TSA, TWIC Enrollment Assignment. 

Kenneth Weitzel, Maritime Information Specialist

Telephone: (907) 463 3064

Kenneth is an Alaskan Native Veteran with 11 years active duty naval experience and over 20 years of Information Technology experience.  In the U.S. Navy Kenneth served as a Data Processing Technician at the Naval Civilian Personnel Data Systems Center Randolph AFB San Antonio Texas, and in San Diego California on the USS Ranger (CV-61), Tactical Training Group Pacific, and the USS Constellation (CV-64). Since separating from the Navy Kenneth has been employed in the civilian sector as an Information Technology professional.  Originally from Hoonah, Teikweidi Eagle Brown Bear, Kenneth enjoys snowboarding and hiking and often can be found on the local Juneau trails.

Chris Watson, Maritime Information Specialist

Telephone: (907) 463 3064

Chris served 7 years in the Air Force as a Jet Engine Mechanic. One of the stations he served at was Elmendorf AFB near Anchorage, Alaska, where he fell in love with the state. After getting transferred to Florida where he left the Air Force, he started a 15 year career as an Auto Mechanic and worked his way back to Alaska. In 1996 he graduated from Charter College in Anchorage specializing in computer science and network administration.  He worked for several firms including Altman, Rogers & Co., State of Alaska Legislative Affairs and True North FCU. He now brings his set of skills to the Marine Exchange of Alaska. Chris is an avid sport fisherman, has spent several years as an assistant Boy Scout master and enjoys all aspects of the outdoors that Alaska has to offer.  

Ed Haney, Maritime Information Specialist

Telephone: (907) 463 3064

Ed, a life long Alaska resident, retired from the US Navy and has lived in Juneau since October 1995. During his Navy career as an Operations Specialist he qualified as an Anti-Submarine Air Controller, served on the Mine Group One Staff developing minesweeping doctrine for operations in the Persian Gulf, and help develop the Shipboard Combat System Training Team for USS Camden. Since his retirement he has worked for Capital Office Supply, Alaska Commission for Postsecondary Education, the Permanent Fund Dividend, owns a local Bed and Breakfast and works seasonally as a Captain of a Charter Fishing boat.

Rick Sypeck, Maritime Information Specialist

Telephone: (907) 463 3064

Rick has lived in Alaska for 20 years. Originally from Miami, Florida, he moved to Alaska after serving in the United States Marine Corps for 3 years.  While in the Marines he was stationed in California, North Carolina, and Okinawa, Japan as a Field Radio Operator, spending a portion of his time in Japan aboard the USS Blue Ridge.  After leaving the military, he moved to Fairbanks and worked for DHL Worldwide Express and recently worked with Holland America/Princess here in Juneau. Rick has been a Big Brother with the Big Brother/Big Sisters program here in Southeast Alaska, which helps children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships.  He loves walking to the face of the glacier in winter and playing Guitar Hero with his kids.