Mr. Craig A. Bennett
Director, National Pollution Funds Center
United States Coast Guard
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Craig Bennett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of the National Pollution Funds Center, located in Arlington, Virginia. In this capacity he is responsible for administering all aspects of the liability and compensation provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 including the management of the multi-billion dollar Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. He is a member of the Marine Safety and Security Council, the Commandant’s advisory council for all Coast Guard regulatory matters. He has served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization.
Under his leadership the National Pollution Funds Center provides money for the prompt federal response to oil pollution incidents. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is also available to pay claims to those damaged by oil spills when polluters do not. The National Pollution Funds Center ensures “the polluter pays” by recovering removal costs and damages paid from the fund. Finally, the National Pollution Funds Center administers the Certificate of Financial Responsibility program ensuring that over 22,000 vessels operating in U.S. waters have the financial ability to cover their pollution liability.
Mr. Bennett entered federal service in 2004 as Chief of the Financial Management Division of the National Pollution Funds Center, where he was responsible for administration of all financial programs and assets until his selection as Director in 2008.
Mr. Bennett is a retired Coast Guard officer. During his military career, his experience spanned the diverse disciplines of surface operations, vessel traffic management, financial management, training and human resources. His active duty service included eight years of sea duty in the performance of maritime law enforcement, search & rescue, and domestic & polar icebreaking.
Mr. Bennett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the U. S. Coast Guard Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington. He is a recipient of the Coast Guard Chief Financial Officer’s Award for Excellence and the DHS Chief Financial Officer’s Award for Excellence. Mr. Bennett is a Certified Government Financial Manager and a designated National Security Professional.
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