Craig Bennett assumed his current duties as the Deputy Assistant Commandant for Resources and Chief Financial Officer for the United States Coast Guard in 2013. He is the principal advisor to the Assistant Commandant for Resources/Chief Financial Officer and senior staff for all budgetary, financial, and resource management activities relating to the programs and operations of the Coast Guard. As a component of the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is comprised of a nearly 60,000 member active duty, reserve and civil servant workforce with an annual budget of $13 billion.
Prior to this assignment, Mr. Bennett served as the Director of the National Pollution Funds Center where he was responsible for all aspects of the liability and compensation provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 including stewardship of the multi-billion dollar Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Prior to joining the Senior Executive Service in 2008, he was the Chief of the Financial Management Division at the National Pollution Funds Center.
A retired Coast Guard officer, his active duty at sea assignments included: Executive Officer aboard the USCGC DURABLE (WMEC 628); Commanding Officer of the USCGC KATMAI BAY (WTGB 101); Executive Officer aboard the USCGC MOBILE BAY (WTGB 103); and Deck Watch Officer aboard the USCGC NORTHWIND (WAGB 282)
His active duty shore assignments included: Chief of the Financial Management Division for the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources; Comptroller and then Executive Officer of Training Center Petaluma; Chief of the Finance Branch at the Thirteenth Coast Guard District; and Watch Supervisor at Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Houston/Galveston.
Mr. Bennett is a 1982 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington in 1992. He is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), and a past national president of the American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC). Mr. Bennett was awarded the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2014.