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Home / Academics / The Office of Scholarship, Research, and Innovation / Center for Arctic Study and Policy / James B. Ellis II

James B. Ellis II

Fellow

2013-Present

Retired. Active in the affairs of the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association and serve on the Board of Directors.

2003-2012

Partner in the law firm of Blank Rome LLP, a 500-attorney, multi-national, multi-city law firm that primarily represents U.S. and foreign businesses on a wide range of legal issues. During this period, served for six years on the firm’s executive committee and distribution committee and served for the past four years as the administrative partner for the Washington, D.C. office. Primary area of practice is representing maritime companies in corporate transactions and financings.

1985-2002

Founding Partner of the Washington, D.C. law firm of Dyer Ellis and Joseph. Served as managing partner for 15 years during which time the firm grew from five attorneys to 45 attorneys. The firm specialized in representing U.S. and foreign companies, primarily in the maritime industry. In 2003, the firm merged with Blank Rome LLP.

1982-1984

Partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Kurrus and Dyer PC, a boutique law firm representing companies in the U.S. and international maritime industry.

1980-1982

Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation for maritime policy and representative of the Department of Transportation on the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Law of the Sea Conference. In that capacity, was the legal member of the team that oversaw the transfer and integration of the U.S. Maritime Administration from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Transportation. Recipient of the Secretary of Transportation’s Silver Medal.

1979-1980

Selected by the Coast Guard to attend the Sloan Fellows Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduated with a Master of Science in Management Degree. Elected permanent class President. Served on the Board of Governors of the Sloan Fellows Program.

1975-1979

Served as the District Legal Officer for the 17th Coast Guard District in Alaska. Drafted the regulations governing the vessel traffic system for tankers transporting oil from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, participated in the implementation and enforcement of the 200-mile fisheries limit in Alaskan waters, and oversaw the transfer of several million of acres of property along the coast of Alaska from the Coast Guard to Alaskan natives under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Deep selected for the rank of Commander. Awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

1973-1975

Served as staff attorney in the Maritime and International Law Division of the Coast Guard Chief Counsel. Legal representative on the U.S. IMO delegation to the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Conference. Awarded Coast Guard Achievement Medal. Deep selected for rank of Lieutenant Commander.

1970-1973

Attended the National Law Center, George Washington University. Graduated first in class with a Juris Doctor Degree with highest honors.

1968-1970

Served two tours in Coastal Division Twelve, Republic of Vietnam, including ten months as Commanding Officer of the USCGC Point Orient, eight months as Division Executive Officer and four months assigned to the U.S. Navy as head of Coast Guard advisory team assisting with transfer and integration of Coast Guard assets to the Vietnamese Navy. Awarded Bronze Star with Combat “V”.

1967-1968

Served as Commanding Officer of the USCGC Cape Morgan in Charleston, South Carolina.

1966-1967

Served as duty officer aboard of the USCGC McCulloch with collateral duties as Communications Officer and Navigation Officer.

1962-1966

Attended U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Graduated first in class with a Bachelor of Science Degree with Highest Honors.

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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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