Our Team

Eric Peace joined the Lake Carriers’ Association as the Director of Operations and Communications in 2019 after retiring as a Commander with more than 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard.

While in the service, he drove Coast Guard operations, specifically icebreaking. He served in command positions on three Great Lakes icebreakers including the USCGC MACKINAW homeported in Cheboygan, MI. His final assignment in uniform was as the Program Manager for all ice operations at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. While in this position he published numerous policy papers and strategic documents advocating for new Polar Icebreaker procurement and synergy in Coast Guard workforce experience between Great Lakes icebreaking sailors and those needed in the future on the new Polar Icebreakers.

Eric earned a Master of Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University after completing a thesis on U.S. and Canadian icebreaking and received a Bachelor of Science in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

James Marra is currently the Principal and Director of Business Development at Blue Point Capital Partners where he is responsible for identifying investment opportunities, sourcing senior and mezzanine debt, and building relationships with business owners.

James earned his Bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Pittsburgh.

James is actively engaged in the Cleveland business and education communities. He is currently a Board member and Finance Committee head for Entrepreneurial Preparatory Academy (a CMSD-sponsored charter school for grades 6-12), a Board of Trustees member with Rock Ethics Institute (founded within the Penn State academic community), and a Board member with UCP Cleveland. James is also a guest speaker at the Weatherhead School Business, Notre Dame College, and Penn State University.

James founded the James P. and Jonni L. Marra Scholarship Fund at Penn State University, and was a former fundraiser and organizer for the Friends of Breakthrough Schools.

John Wiitala is vice president of technical services for United, the world’s leading airline. He is responsible for the technical groups that support United’s aircraft configurations, operations, and maintenance. These technical support groups include engineering, inspection, quality assurance, reliability, maintenance programs, technical publications, and aircraft records.

Prior to this role, Wiitala was managing director of product and service engineering. He joined the company in 1992 and held a number of engineering jobs throughout the organization including director of engineering and managing director of project engineering.

Wiitala began his aviation career in 1988 in project engineering at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami, Florida. Wiitala received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa. He is married and has two children

Dr. Joycelyn Harrison is a chemical engineer by trade as well as a research scientist, mentor, and STEM champion. She is an award-winning engineer and prolific inventor.

Harrison is a 1987 graduate of Spelman College, in Atlanta, where she earned her degree in chemistry. That same year she also earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, from which she later received her M.S. (1989) and Ph.D. (1993) in chemical engineering. Harrison’s research specialty has been in piezoelectric materials, electro-active polymers that move or change shape when exposed to electrical stimulation and have potential applications as synthetic muscles in robotics and for use in outer space. She jointly holds 23 patents involving these materials, which can facilitate the repair of satellites and improvements in such various devices as robots, heart pumps, and audio speakers.

Harrison worked at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton as a research engineer and later as chief of the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch. She was part of the team that developed THUNDER (Thin-Layer Composite-Unimorph Piezoelectric Driver and Sensor) technology, for which they received R&D Magazine’s annual R&D 100 Award as one of that year’s best innovations in research and development. For her work, NASA awarded Harrison the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2000 and the Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2006. National Women in Color honored Harrison with a Technology All-Star Award in 1998.

Kent Stauffer is leading aviation safety, maintenance, quality, and operations professional who heads the safety, quality, training, and facilities departments for Constant Aviation. In addition to being an FAA certificated pilot, UAS Pilot, and A&P, he holds several accreditations in Aviation Science, and Aviation Maintenance as well as a Certificate of Aviation Safety and Security from The University of Southern California. Kent has a broad background in aviation maintenance, operations, and safety. His expertise includes human factors, fatigue management, flight and ground operations, risk management, OSHA, EPA, hazardous materials, Safety Management Systems (SMS), and aviation accident investigation. Kent has served as a Designated Aircraft Accident Investigator (AAI) in corporate aviation incident and accident investigations as well as several NTSB investigations.

With a background in music from the University of Wyoming Casper College, Kent previously spent time in the music industry including advising and ownership of record label and recording studio startups and operations. Additionally, Kent previously operated as a long-haul transport driver in semi-trucks and luxury coaches with over 2 million miles accident-free.

As an active member of the FAA Safety Action Team (FAAST), Kent speaks throughout the country at FAA forums and industry conferences on operations, safety, and maintenance topics. Kent serves on various industry and FAA-sponsored work groups and organizations and participates as an advisory board member for several Part 147 schools as well as serving as a board member of the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). Currently, Kent chairs the NBAA Maintenance Safety Sub-Committee. Kent spends his free time camping, flying, riding motorcycles, and traveling in general with his wife and son.

Michael Schoop has more than twenty years of executive experience as a community college dean, vice president, and campus president. He currently serves as president and CEO of Scope Unlimited, a consultancy that designs virtual leadership experiences.

Michael taught numerous undergraduate courses in writing and composition and graduate courses in community college leadership, history, and finance. His most recent courses have focused on the intersection between innovation, economic development, and the growth of community colleges and other learning organizations. He has also given presentations at regional and national conferences on rhetorical theory, innovation and learning, and the future of higher education.

Michael is engaged with the greater Cleveland community and has served on the board of a number of non-profit organizations including Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Burton, Bell Carr, Inc., the Campus District, Inc, and the Black Professional  Association Charitable Foundation.

Michael received his baccalaureate degree from the University of Chicago and both his Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Maryland.

As Vice President of Operations for Interlake, Paul oversees the day-to-day operations of The Interlake Steamship Company fleet and all associated safety, quality, regulatory, and environmental stewardship programs. Paul is Interlake’s Incident Response and Management Team member and a Qualified Individual (OPA ’90). He is trained as an Incident Commander/On-scene Coordinator and a Designated Person Ashore.

He previously served as Director of Vessel Operations and Security before assuming his current position in January 2021. Before coming ashore in 2016, Paul was a Relief Captain on many of Interlake’s vessels after sailing in ascending positions since joining Interlake in 2006. During that decade, Paul sailed on each of the nine working freighters in the fleet. In 2019, Paul was awarded a Public Service Commendation from the United States Coast Guard for his exceptional support of USCG Maritime Industry Rescue Training aboard Interlake vessels underway. A Lake Carriers’ Association’s Operations Committee member.

A graduate of The Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2006, Paul earned his Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and an Unlimited Third Mate Open Oceans License.

Rick Brown is the director of technical operations training for United Airlines.  He is responsible for the training of United’s 10,000 technicians and support personnel around the world.

Prior to joining United in 2017, Rick was the director of training services for L3 and oversaw their north america part 142 pilot training group. He also retired from Delta Air Lines serving in roles within Flight Ops training and in Technical Operations as an aircraft technician.

Rick graduated from Embry Riddle University and holds a Bachelor of Professional Aeronautics and an A&P license.  Rick got his start in aviation as a KC-135 crew chief in the United States Air Force. He is married with 2 children.

Rob is a partner in the firm’s Admiralty & Maritime practice group. He is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed deck officer
(since 1987) and focuses his practice on a wide range of maritime matters including both litigation and transactions.
Rob has represented shipowners in trials in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and Washington, variously in
both federal court and state court. Rob has also represented shipowners before state environmental agencies and in
connection with U.S. Coast Guard investigations.

Rob handles litigation matters involving defense of seamen personal injury cases alleging negligence under the
Jones Act and unseaworthiness under general maritime law; carriage of goods and passengers alleging breach of
contract, personal injury, detention, demurrage, dispatch, etc.; cargo damage cases under the Carriage of Goods by
Sea Act, the Harter Act, common carriage and private carriage; collision and allision cases with issues of improper
lookout, errors in navigation, obstructions to navigation, tug operations, latent defects, machinery failure, etc.; marine insurance; and in rem actions under Supplemental Admiralty Rules based on vessel arrests and cargo seizures. Rob handles transactional matters involving charter parties and contracts of carriage, which include time-, voyage-, and sub-charters, contracts of affreightment, booking notes, float agreements, common carriage and private carriage; vessel documentation and finance; and towage contracts.

Rob has taught sailing and boat-handling to kids and adults, both as a US Sailing certified instructor and as a US Coast Guard licensed captain. After graduating from Maine Maritime Academy with an unlimited 3^rd Mate license, Rob sailed for Sea-Land aboard a 700’ container ship in foreign trade and then for Interlake Steamship aboard a 1000’ bulker in Great Lakes trade. He also served aboard the T/V State of Maine for a 2-month long cruise as Training Officer, teaching nautical science and navigation to academy students. While at Thompson Hine, Rob has taught admiralty law classes at Cleveland-Marshal Law School. Most recently, Rob has conducted safety seminars for the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society, teaching preparation, methods, equipment and safety for long distance solo passage-making.

Before joining the board for Argonaut, Rob was Secretary/Treasurer for the Propeller Club, Port of Cleveland, for eight years as a member if its Board of Governors and past president. One of the Propeller Club’s primary missions is to support regional maritime education programs, and Argonaut has been a benefactor of the Club’s scholarship program for several years.

As a lifelong entrepreneur, Steve Peplin has started and operated numerous companies, all in the specialty building trades or building products industries.

Steve Peplin studied architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming. Prior to & after that, he had a series of “adventure” jobs including chef, logger, oilfield roughneck, cowboy, vertical construction worker & sailor.

With a heritage as a 3rd generation manufacturer, he started Talan Products in 1986 with $2,100 & 2 partners. Talan has since grown into a recognized industry leader in manufacturing for the renewable energy & building products industries.

As CEO of Talan, Steve has successfully fostered a culture of innovation, progressive management, high performance & collaboration. Talan’s recognition includes numerous awards for growth, innovation, safety, & manufacturing excellence.

Steve’s hobbies include cooking, unicycling, juggling, golf, skiing, motorcycle trips, sailboat racing, shooting, and hot air ballooning.

Gregarious & affable, Steve Peplin enjoys every day on the job.