TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT & PASSENGER VESSEL SERVICE SECURITY CONSULTANT

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:

I. Bernard (Bernie) Jacobson is a transportation management consultant specializing in ferry operations and water transportation. He is currently leading efforts by his company, IBJ Associates, to analyze the feasibility of re-establishing passenger ferry service on Mobile Bay, AL. He is also assisting Fort Sumter Cruises in assessing and planning for vessel and terminal security improvements for their service to the national monument in Charleston harbor.  Mr. Jacobson recently established a turnkey passenger ferry service for Chatham Area Transit in Savannah, Georgia. He also participated in a system planning study for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority that will develop new ferry services throughout the Bay Area. 

Prior to returning to management consulting, he was General Manager of the North Ferry Company, operating a fleet of four ferries carrying vehicles and passengers in a year-round service to an island community on the east end of Long Island, NY. During his 12-year tenure, he managed finance, operations, engineering, marketing, personnel, safety, security, and planning functions for the fleet that carried over one million people in 2000.

Previously, Mr. Jacobson was a senior consultant at Temple, Barker, & Sloane (now Mercer Management Consulting). He provided management and economic consulting services to maritime companies and to government agencies responsible for delivering and regulating marine transportation services. He worked with many sectors of the maritime industry, including ferries, cruise shipping, inland and coastal barging, liquid- and dry-bulk transportation, and liner shipping, including both Ro-Ro and container.  Clients included commercial vessel operators, shippers, shipyards, domestic and foreign ports, government agencies, international development banks, private financial institutions, and law firms.

Prior to TBS, Mr. Jacobson was a Senior Associate in Booz, Allen & Hamilton’s Ports and Maritime Group.  After joining Booz Allen, he developed and managed a team of analysts to combine economic, financial management, and computer skills with a mix of operational knowledge to successfully build a new consulting practice with the inland barge industry.  Before that, Mr. Jacobson was a Senior Management Consultant at Dynamac Corporation, where he provided management consulting services to the planning departments of federal agencies.

As an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. Jacobson held a number of planning positions. As Chief, Plans and Evaluation Staff, Office of Marine Environment and Systems, he coordinated planning programming and budgeting for Port Safety and Security, Marine Environmental Protection, Aids to Navigation, and Bridge Administration. He developed operating plans and conducted investment studies for new ships, aircraft, and boats. Mr. Jacobson was also assigned as Transportation Economist to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Policy, Plans, and International Affairs where he carried out a three-year economic study of inland barge transportation of dry bulk commodities on the Mississippi River System. He also served for four years as Assistant Professor of Operations Research and Economics at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

SELECTED PROJECT EXPERIENCE:

Some of the similar projects that Mr. Jacobson has directed include:

• Fort Sumter Ferry Tours
  Bernie Jacobsen teamed with Ron Libengood to bring Fort Sumter Tours into compliance with all newly proposed USCG security regulations.  The team worked cooperatively with members of the Charleston Port Security Committee during the assessment and the development of follow-on contingency plans. The contingency plans involved local law enforcement agencies, as well as federal entities such as the USCG Captain of the Port and the U. S. Park Service.
• Passenger Vessel Association
  Mr. Jacobsen developed a risk management handbook, in collaboration with U. S. Coast Guard specialists, to provide a method for ferry operators to evaluate potential risk characteristics of their vessel operations and to develop designs and procedures to remove or reduce the consequences of unsafe practices, control system, photo ID badging system, gate control systems, video surveillance system, land side security and the design of the airport police dispatch and emergency center.
• Mobile Bay Ferry Feasibility Study
  Mr. Jacobsen is currently studying the potential for re-establishing ferry services across Mobile Bay. This requires completion of the following tasks: analyze the potential ferry market, identify potential ferry routes, consult with potential ferry service operators, develop vessel characteristics and terminal characteristics, analyze operating economics, identify recommended ferry services, develop a summary implementation plan to guide project development, establish a regional implementation mechanism, and assist the establishment of operator qualifications and evaluate proposals for operating the ferry system.
• Chatham Area Transit Authority
  Mr. Jacobsen is completing a comprehensive project to design, build, and deliver ferries for the Savannah River.  The project included an analysis and projection of traffic; analysis of potential routes and frequency of service; vessel design and specifications; and shipyard selection and contract negotiations for constructing a fleet of passenger vessels built under our supervision and to be delivered to the client in Savannah, where we will train the crews.  This ferry service will provide transportation across and along the Savannah River for tourists, employees, and convention attendees.  The vessel design is technologically innovative though historically accurate in appearance. Additionally, Mr. Jacobson is tasked with designing and supervising construction of a maintenance facility that will support the storage and servicing of the ferries.
• San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority  
  Mr. Jacobsen was sub-contractor to CHS Consulting for ferry system planning tasks. Provided analyses for initial phase recommendations for Bay Area Ferry System improvements, prepared improvement concepts, and analyzed system-wide planning issues. This was part of a major expansion study for high speed and contemporary displacement-hulled vessels that will ply the waters of San Francisco Bay for the next quarter century or more.

EDUCATION:

• BS, Engineering, U.S Coast Guard Academy
  MS, Management,US Naval Postgraduate School

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Co-Chair of the Passenger Vessel Association’s Ferry Council
• Co-Chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Ferry Committee
• Appointment to the National Academies’ Marine Board
• Master U.S. Coast Guard License

Contact I. Bernard (Bernie) Jacobson

Phone: 412.252.2551
eFax: 360.230.6152

E-mail: info@securacomm.com

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