By Michael Madrid

We are excited to announce the launch of several new CIMSEC chapters, as well as a new president for our Italy chapter. Below is information and president contacts for the newly created Caribbean, South Korea, and Nigeria CIMSEC chapters.

CIMSEC chapters bring together like-minded individuals who share an interest in maritime security. Located all over the world, CIMSEC chapters can organize many sorts of activities for their membership, ranging from an informal meetup at a local bar to a panel discussion at a university. To learn more about CIMSEC’s membership activities you may reach us at [email protected]. 

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Caribbean Chapter

President: Vice-Admiral (Ret.) Omar Eduardo Andujar-Zaiter
Contact: [email protected]

Vice-Admiral (Ret.) Omar Eduardo Andujar-Zaiter was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1961. He entered to the Dominican Naval Academy as Midshipman in 1978 where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Sciences and commissioned Ensign of the Dominican Republic Navy (DRN) in December 1982. On active duty as Surface Warfare Officer, he served for (9 years in a variety of naval, maritime, joint, and combined assignments. At sea, he was Logistics, Navigator, Operations, XO, and Commanding Officer. Ashore, he served as aide to several Chiefs of the Navy; Public Affairs Director of the Ministry of Defense, as well as at the Navy. He integrated a Commission to Reform and Modernization of the Armed Forces. He was Vice President of the Caribbean Information Sharing Network Conference. At the Naval Academy, he had different assignments as Junior and Senior Officer, obtaining the position of director prior to becoming Vice Chief of the Navy in 2002. Next, he served as Director, Military Institute of the Human Rights and International Conflict Rights; and Director, Haitian Affairs Office of the Ministry of Defense.

South Korea Chapter

President: Alexander Hynd
Contact: [email protected]

Alexander M. Hynd works as a security analyst in Seoul, South Korea. He holds a BA from SOAS, University of London, and an MA from Korea University

Nigeria Chapter

President: Umoh Ofunmbuk
Contact: [email protected]

Umoh Ofonmbuk (born in 1975, in Nigeria and to Nigerian parents) is a chemical engineer, writer, environmentalist, security consultant and entrepreneur. A farm owner, whose company, Garfield Services started in 2017, has been a key producer of organic vegetables in Rivers State. He has served as the Coordinator of Homeland Preservation and Luminosity Foundation (HPLF), an NGO in Nigeria involved in the restoration of the environment, humanity and its values since 2018. He has served as a research consultant to the Chairman and House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), House of Representatives-National Assembly, from 2011 to 2014, and an independent researcher on the role of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in maritime safety and security. He has completed the UN advanced Security in the Field Course, and completed a UN sponsored course on climate change. He has been a freelance correspondent to The News Magazine and New Dawn, under the supervision of Sylvester Asoya, Former Assistant Editor, The News Magazine.

Italy Chapter

We are pleased to announce the CIMSEC Italy chapter has a new president, LtCdr (r.), French Navy, Francois-Phillipe M. Durbach. Contact him at [email protected]g.

Born in Nancy, France in 1973,  Francois-Phillipe Durbach has a B.A. in Political Sciences/Administrative branch in 1995 at the Institut d’Etudes politiques (Strasbourg). An Erasmus student in 1993-94, he studied at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the LUISS (Rome). In love with the Eternal City, he came back there in 1997 as a Midshipman (French Navy reserve) serving in the Military Attaché Office of the French Embassy in Italy. He also served in the Navy as a political and military analyst in the Defence Mission of the French Embassy in Italy, continuing his career as an officer. He also served as a freelance translator until 1998 and an accountant of the French Desk of International Fides Agency (Vatican). A member of the French Navy Reserve officers’ central association (ACORAM), he is also counselor of Ladispoli’s group of ANMI (National Association of Sailors of Italy). He lives and works in Rome.

Michael Madrid is CIMSEC’s Director of Membership. Contact him at [email protected]. 

Featured Image: Cruise ship approaching St Martin/St Maarten (Profcruise.com)

By Jimmy Drennan

In order to submit a nomination, you must be a CIMSEC member at the time of nomination. The nominee must be a CIMSEC member as well. Members can be nominated and run for more than one position but may only hold one voting office. Officers may also be members of the Board of Directors.

To read more about the positions and the scope of responsibilities, click here. As an all-volunteer group, we rely on our officers to carry out the important day-to-day functions and mission of CIMSEC. Expected workload for officers is a minimum of 3 hours per week, although we believe as in most things in life the more you put in to the effort the more you will get out of it. There are plenty of opportunities to make a real difference in moving our mission forward if you want to put in the time.

It is important to stress the premium we place on communication. If you make the commitment to become an officer, you are expected to stay in regular contact.

After You Are Nominated

For those stepping up to compete as a candidate for an elected position, once you have been nominated you will be contacted and asked whether you accept the nomination. If you do, you will also be asked to submit answers to the following two questions to [email protected] before the election begins. It is therefore recommended that you also prepare and submit your answers as soon as possible.

1. What are your qualifications?
2. What are your goals?

You will also be asked to sign our conflict of interest policy.

Nominations will close on August 29. Elections will commence soon after.

Jimmy Drennan is the president of CIMSEC. Contact him at [email protected].