Bollinger hires 14th USCG Master Chief Petty Officer Heath B. Jones for key role

Heath B. Jones, retired 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard (MCPOC)

Bollinger Shipyards has named Heath B. Jones, retired 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard (MCPOC) its vice president of government relations and strategic partnerships. In this role, Jones will help sustain and expand Bollinger’s relationships with key government customer agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, while also advancing new opportunities across Bollinger’s commercial customer base.

“As the maritime industry continues to evolve, Bollinger recognizes the importance of adapting to meet the needs of both government and commercial customers,” said Ben Bordelon, president & CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “Whether it’s supporting Bollinger’s programs enhancing America’s white hull and gray hull fleets, delivering advanced icebreakers for the Arctic, or expanding the company’s offerings in autonomous, offshore energy, alternative fuels, or commercial space exploration, we are investing in the future. Heath’s leadership and experience will be instrumental in ensuring we remain the partner of choice for all of our customers.”

Jones joins Bollinger at a pivotal moment for America’s maritime industrial base, following President Trump’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which delivers a record $25 billion investment in the Coast Guard – the largest in American history —further extending the service’s most successful recapitalization effort and underscoring the scale of this historic commitment to U.S. shipbuilding. The legislation included $4.3 billion for the advanced procurement and construction of vessels two and three of the Bollinger-built Polar Security Program, fully funding the critical program through completion. In addition, the legislation included $1 billion for the Fast Response Cutter program. Bollinger recently entered into contract negotiations with the Coast Guard for at least 10 additional FRCs.

“I’m honored to return home to Louisiana and join the Bollinger team,” said Jones. “As a young cutterman, I served as executive petty officer, and later skipper of a Bollinger-built 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat constructed in Lockport in the 1990s. To now come full circle and be part of the company that built the platforms I once sailed on is deeply meaningful. Bollinger has long been a trusted partner to the Coast Guard and Navy, but it is also charting a course into new maritime frontiers that will shape the future of technology, security, and commerce. I look forward to helping build those partnerships, expand opportunities for America’s shipbuilding workforce, and ensure Bollinger remains at the forefront of our nation’s industrial base.”

Jones brings more than three decades of maritime service and leadership to Bollinger. Over his 30-plus year Coast Guard career, he served in multiple afloat and ashore commands and ultimately as the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, the service’s senior enlisted leader and principal advisor to the Commandant. In that role, Jones advised on workforce readiness, training, personnel policies, and quality-of-life issues affecting more than 57,000 Coast Guard active-duty, reserve, and civilian members.

Jones served as the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 2022 to August 2025. Master Chief Jones was the senior enlisted member of the Coast Guard and the principal advisor to the Commandant on all personnel matters.

Jones is a native of Covington, La. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in August of 1995. Master Chief Jones’ previous assignments include Command Master Chief, Deputy Commandant for Mission Support; Command Master Chief, Pacific Area; Command Master Chief, 8th Coast Guard District; Command Master Chief, Sector Hampton Roads; Officer in Charge, USCGC Sea Horse; Officer in Charge, Station Pensacola; Officer in Charge, USCGC Bollard; Officer in Charge, Station Cape Charles; Executive Petty Officer, Station Little Creek; Executive Petty Officer, USCGC Seahawk; Station New Orleans; USCGC Kanawha.

His personal awards include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, the DHS Distinguished Service Medal, The Legion of Merit, four Meritorious Service Medals, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Command Afloat and Ashore Devices, and the permanent Cutterman, Coxswain, and Advance Boat Forces insignia. He is the recipient of the 2012 Signalman First Class Douglas Munro Inspirational Leadership Award and the 2006 Master Chief Petty Officer Angela McShan Inspirational Leadership Award. He also served as the 16th Silver Ancient Mariner.

He is a graduate of the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy Class 124, the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course class 48, and he is a Keystone 18-1 Fellow. He holds both a bachelor and a master of arts degree in organizational management with a specialty in human resource management. He also holds a certificate of apprenticeship as a Master Homeland Security Specialist from USMAP.

He has been married to the former Carol Ann Clarke of Folsom, La since 1996. They are the very proud parents of son Mr. Christian and wife Mrs. Katherine Jones, and daughter Dr. Sidney and her husband Mr. Thomas John, as well as the pride of their lives, granddaughters Katie Lyn John and Ella Grace Jones,].