Who We Are
CDR Marc Nguyen
Marc Nguyen was born in South Vietnam in 1962; at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975, he and his family immigrated to the United States. He attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, graduated in 1987, and went on to serve with distinction for 20 years as a Commissioned U.S. Coast Guard Officer. Throughout his career, CDR Nguyen held diverse postings across the East, Gulf, and West Coasts, as well as international assignments in Guam, Singapore, and the Arctic Circle. His leadership spanned critical Coast Guard missions including Drug Interdiction, Search and Rescue, Maritime Safety and Security, Environmental Protection, and Ice Operations.
In a landmark mission following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam, CDR Nguyen led a U.S. military delegation to Vietnam to strengthen bilateral ties and support economic development. His team collaborated with Vietnamese officials to rebuild port infrastructure, laying the groundwork for improved maritime trade and long-term economic growth.
Following his retirement in 2007, CDR Nguyen served as a maritime security consultant and currently as a U.S. Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Safety official. He remains deeply committed to public service and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Project Vietnam Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare access and outcomes for underserved communities both at home and abroad.
CDR Nguyen lives with his wife, Hong, and his three children in southern California.
CAPT Michael H. Graner
Dr. Michael Graner grew up in New York City. Following his graduation from Fordham University in 1971, he began his teaching career in the South Bronx. He completed a masters degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in 1976. He then attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a U.S. Coast Guard officer. In the mid 1980s he was a Humanities Department instructor at the Coast Guard Academy; while at the Academy, he earned a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Connecticut. He retired as a Captain from the US Coast Guard Reserve in 2006. After leaving active duty, he served as a high school principal and as the Superintendent of Schools in three Connecticut school districts. In 2021 Dr. Graner retired after 50 years as a teacher, Coast Guard officer and school district leader. He lives with his wife, Deborah, in Mystic, Connecticut.
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