New Director Takes the Helm of State Ferry System

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has a new skipper in charge. Craig Tornga has been appointed as the new Marine Director of the state ferry system.

The Marine Director position, formerly known as the AMHS General Manager, has been vacant since January, when Captain John Falvey retired after leading the service for nearly twenty years.

Tornga has extensive experience both in the marine industry and in managing multifaceted organizations. He started his maritime career sailing aboard Crowley’s ocean-going vessels and spent more than twenty years working his way up through Crowley’s Marine Services Division. Since 2017, Tornga has served as the Senior Vice President for Kirby Offshore Marine in Houston, Texas.

“Craig Is going to do a great job leading the AMHS team,” says Ryan Anderson, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), which oversees the service. “His experience, first as a mariner, then in managing complex marine operations, will be invaluable to the Marine Highway operations and staff.”

Per statute, DOT&PF conferred with the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board (AMHOB) before offering Tornga the position. The board reviewed his credentials in executive session on March 13, 2023 and subsequently unanimously supported his candidacy at the public meeting on the same day.

“Mr. Tornga’s decades of experience and knowledge in the unique marine industry here in Alaska and Houston span every element needed for the successful management of a complex Alaskan owned and operated Marine Highway,” says AMHOB Chair Shirley Marquardt. “We have confidence that Craig will rise to the challenge and gain the support of our great employees who love the system.”