Captain Morgan McManus, Master, Empire State VI

Captain Morgan McManus holds licenses as a "Master of Power-driven Vessels of Unlimited Tonnage" and "Offshore Installation Manager" in the U.S., Marshall Islands, and Liberia. He is the Master of the Training Ship Empire State VII for Maritime College.

A native of Queens, he earned a B.S. in Marine Transportation from Maritime College (1988-1993) and holds a U.S. Coast Guard Third Officer license and a Naval Reserve Commission. 

From 1993 to 1999, he sailed on crude oil tankers and worked as Operations Manager and Parcel Tanker Broker with the Odin Group in various locations. He joined the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots in 1999 and became Master of his first bulk carrier in March 2007.

In 2010, McManus moved to the oil and gas sector, serving as Master and Offshore Installation Manager on Deepwater Dynamic Position drillships in the Gulf of Mexico for nearly a decade.

Since April 2019, he has led the Training Ship Empire State on four training cruises to various ports, enhancing the educational experience at SUNY Maritime College. In September 2023, he became the first Master to take delivery of the NSMV Empire State and performed training with the new vessel, later being appointed Vice President of Regimental Affairs in September 2024.