Cal Maritime Alumni Association

“Every wave carries a story, waiting to be told” (Sea Stories)

Share your sea stories with your fellow Cal Maritime alums.

Thank you, Craig ‘78 for this great idea

Our cadets on board the GOLDEN BEAR are heading to Honolulu, then to Busan, to Yokohama, to Los Angeles and then home to Vallejo on August 5. Where did you go on your training cruise? Let us know your favorite destination

Congratulations to our Cal Maritime 2024 graduates... the newest members of the Alumni Association!

Congratulations to our 2024 Cal Maritime graduates. Our Alumni Board Members welcomed the new graduates in to the alumni association after graduation practice.

Nominations now open for the 2024 Cal Maritime Alumni Awards.

Kai Krause rocks it!!!!

Thank you to President Dumont for all he does for Cal Maritime

Commodore Harry Bolton wins the Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations 🎉

Congrats to Josie for Lighthouse Service award Well deserved!

Congratulations to Captain Kate for her Distinguished Alumni award

Madeleine Wolczko Rising Star

John Betz and Kim Estes

Silent auction is a success!

Getting ready for the 19th annual scholarship and awards gala at the beautiful Marines Memorial

Come cheer on the Cal Maritime sailing team at this year's Harbor Cup race in Long Beach March 8-10.

Meet Cal Maritime 2023 Lighthouse Service Alumni Award Winner:

Josie Alexander

The California Maritime Academy Alumni Association celebrates Josie Alexander with the 2023 Lighthouse Service Award.

Josie is the Executive Director of the Associated Students and is the coordinator of both Student Activities and the Basic Needs Program at Cal Maritime.

In nominating Josie, alums Erin Pierson ‘02 and Eric Cooper ’04 salute Josie as the “face of Cal Maritime - always stepping in to help cadets.” They write that “for over 18 years Josie has fostered many relationships with cadets and has mentored countless. She remains close with many alumni and is always seen on campus at after business hours events whether it’s 4thThursdays, an Associated Students event, or a ball game. Josie is there always smiling and supporting cadets. Her commitment to Cal Maritime and its community is unparalleled among her colleagues. Her care and compassion for current cadets and alumni is bar none.”

Josie began her career at Cal Maritime in July of 2000 as a Resident Director for the Office of Housing & Residential Life. In the summer of 2001, Josie embarked on her first of eight summer cruises on the Training Ship Golden Bear as the activities coordinator and manager of Pirate’s Cove. In 2005 she was promoted to the Director of Campus Life, and from 2008 to 2010 she served as the interim Dean of Students. In March of 2010, the California State Student Association (CSSA) awarded Josie with “Administrator of the Year,” the first time anyone from Cal Maritime received this award.

Leaving Cal Maritime in 2010, Josie traveled and worked as Dean of Students at Cogswell College in Sunnyvale. She rejoined the Cal Maritime family in 2015 as the Coordinator of Student Activities. Since then she has taken on the Executive Director role in the Associated Students of the California Maritime Academy (ASCMA) and coordinates the Basic Needs program including the Steve & Angie Kreta Food Pantry

Awards will be presented at the 19th annual Scholarship and Awards Gala to be held Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Marine's Memorial Club in San Francisco. Tickets are available at https://www.csum.edu/support/gala/index.html

Meet Cal Maritime's 2023 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award Winner:

Commodore Harry J. Bolton, Jr., '78

Commodore Bolton is a fellow cadet to the Class of '78 alums, but he is also known as the Captain of the Training Ship Golden Bear to ten years of cadets, beginning in May of 2008. Bolton coordinated nearly 20 training cruises and was in command of 11 cruises. As Captain of the training ship, he organized donated port, pilot and tug services saving the academy hundreds of thousands of dollars over his years of service.

Alum Captain Bill Atthowe '75 nominated Bolton for his award. He states that "Commodore Bolton is one of only six U.S. Merchant Service Commissioned Commmodores, and still holds an Unlimited Master Mariner License. He has over 44 years of maritime experience and over 33 years in command. He is a First-Class Pilot, expert witness, and consultant for Maritime companies, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Navy on many issues including equipment design, mission readiness, joint military operations and in-theater logistics. He has spent a lifetime demonstrating the essence of command, leadership, team building and innovative solutions."

Commodore Bolton is a Merchant Marine Veteran of the Granada Invasion, Persian Gulf War and Iraqi Freedom, and many military training missions all over the world. He sailed with American Maritime Officers for 30 years.

On November 20, 2018, in Washington D.C., Maritime Administrator, ADM Mark Buzby, awarded Commodore Bolton the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement, for his service to the country, the maritime Industry and Cal Maritime. He is the only Cal Maritime graduate to receive this prestigious award.

The Alumni Association is honored to award Commodore Harry J.Bolton, Jr. the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Awards will be presented at the 19th annual Scholarship and Awards Gala to be held Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Marine's Memorial Club in San Francisco.

Join us at the Women in Maritime Leadership conference in March 2024, where two days of dynamic, equity-focused leadership development programming await cadets and professional women in the maritime industry. We are actively seeking speakers with maritime expertise and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. To explore this opportunity further, please reach out to Vineeta at [email protected]. For detailed insights into the conference curriculum, visit

Women in Maritime Leadership Conference - CSUM Women in Maritime Leadership Conference - CSUM

You won't want to miss the Women in Maritime Leadership Conference at Cal Maritime, March 15-16, 2024

19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala Auction Supporter
Thank you to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for being the first item donor through Donation Match to our April 6, 2024 auction.
If you have an item or service you would like to donate please email [email protected].

Meet the Cal Maritime Alumni Association 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner: Captain Kate McCue, '00

Cadet Ryan Bean '24, who sailed with Captain Kate for his commercial cruise, nominated her for this award. In her nomination form he states, "...she is a sociable, genuine, mentor who is always willing to stop and talk to whoever she encounters. She is representing the academy wherever Celebrity Beyond sails. She leads with care, compassion, confidence, and is a true shipmate. ... I believe that her work as a trailblazer, prudent mariner and inspiration around the globe makes her the candidate for the Cal Maritime Distinguished Alumni Award."
Captain Kate McCue is the first American female to take the helm of a mega-ton cruise ship. A San Francisco native, Captan McCue currently commands Celebrity Cruise's $1.3 billion dollar flagship, Celebrity Beyond - a 141,420-ton, 327.5-meter vessel sailing year-round to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. As Captain, she is responsible for the safe navigation of the ship and the onboard experience for its 3,903 guests and 1,400 crew members. Prior to taking the helm of the Celebrity Beyond in 2022, Captain McCue also commanded Celebrity Edge, Equinox and Summit.
Known as "Captain Kate" to colleagues, guests and her 4.4 million social media followers, she is a distinguished role-model and frequent spokesperson for Celebrity Cruises, leadership in the maritime industry, and encouraging young women to pursue their dreams with the motto, "if you can SEA it, you can BE it."
In upcoming newsletters, we will feature our other Alumni Award winners for 2023 (Lighthouse Service Award Winner Josie Alexander and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Commodore Harry Bolton.) Awards will be presented at our 19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala to be held Saturday, April 6, 2024 at San Francisco's Marine's Memorial.

Meet our 2023 Alumni Award Rising Star, Madeleine Wolzko '15 MT

"Mariners often go unrecognized for the hard work, dedication, and diligence to their job, because their work is beyond the horizon. CM Wolczko embodies the Rising Star award because she performs her job onboard American Merchant Ships and is willing to share the experience; with all the challenges, hardships, and successes of being a modern merchant mariner." - Carly Stewart '14 who nominated Madeleine for this award.

Madeleine '15 joined MMP (International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots) and has been sailing off the board for the last 8 years, on both liner and tramp ships. She recently reached A Book membership status and holds an Unlimited Chief Mate's license.

In recent years, crews all over the world have experienced varying degrees of shipboard restriction, and in one of these cases, Madeleine was restricted to one vessel for 217 days – half of which she lived with her crew in a shipyard in Shanghai, China. During this time, with full support from the crew, she created the docuseries "Restricted to Ship," which received international attention. She has since created a production company, M. Leine Productions, centered around highlighting the work lives of mariners. She feels that using cinematic effect will help to draw more of the public eye to an industry that is too far out of sight. Her aim is to not only help bring more people into the industry, but to help create better avenues of support for current mariners through the sharing of their experiences.

Media created by M. Leine Productions can be found on YouTube and Instagram.

In upcoming newsletters, we will feature our other Alumni Award winners for 2023 ( Lighthouse Service Award Winner Josie Alexander, Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Captain Kate McCue, and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Commodore Harry Bolton.) Awards will be presented at our 19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala to be held Saturday, April 9, 2024 at San Francisco's Marine's Memorial.

We are deeply saddened to share the news that Captain John Keever passed away on Monday, Nov. 20, crossing the bar peacefully and surrounded by his family.

John graduated from Cal Maritime in 1970 and was an iconic member of the Cal Maritime faculty. He also served as the captain of Training Ship Golden Bear where he mentored and shaped cadets' careers and touched many lives.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family at this time.

Thank you to all of our alums who have bravely served our country. You are appreciated. Happy Veteran's Day.