In 2018, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York reached out to the Office of Facility Management (AMP) at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) for advice regarding our construction and maintenance programs. The USMMA is a federal service academy that educates and graduates leaders as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) funds and operates the USMMA. Their facilities were constructed in the 1940’s, which lands them on the historic preservation register. Over the years, this has caused them to experience many challenges with a lot of deferred maintenance and modernization, and the lack of a program to prevent this after they are refurbished.
Since that time, the two organizations have collaborated numerous times to share information and best practices in an effort to help improve the facilities program at USMMA. Most of the initial conversations were around AMP’s construction and maintenance programs. The construction program information was a conversation around the complete program from planning and funding, to delivering the construction program. The success that AMP has had with their Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quality contracts was shared as a best practice to enable the quick response to awarding minor construction projects. AMP also shared their Life Cycle Assessments that they utilize to assist in planning the modernizations and repairs to keep MMAC’s aged buildings in the best shape. The operation discussions were mainly with the Central Control Monitoring System (CCMS) and levels of service that AMP has built into their service contracts.
In December 2022, following a visit by the Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary, Polly Trottenberg, and her recommendation that they reach out to the Aeronautical Center to learn how we best maintain our facilities. Doctor Corey Beckett, MARAD CFO, set up plans to visit the MMAC.
AMP met with Dr. Beckett and provided him a full presentation and tour focused on MMAC facility management. In late January 2023, Dr. Beckett returned with a team from both MARAD and USMMA to spend even more time learning about the AMP and MMAC facility management, leading to more in-depth discussion around the entire program from structure, daily operations, construction, environmental, safety and Archibus. After the program review meeting, the partnership continued to flourish through multiple Zoom meetings where AMP continued to respond to questions and provide thoughts as to what direction the program was taking.
On May 22, 2023, Dr. Beckett made a special trip to the Aeronautical Center to thank AMP for their generosity in sharing and assisting them with getting their new program established and moving forward. The USMMA is a high priority for the DOT to return to a condition MARAD can maintain for many years to come.
