Casco Bay Island Transit District, also known as Casco Bay Lines (CBL), announced today the appointment of John Warnock as the new General Manager, following a unanimous vote by Casco Bay Lines’ Board of Directors, to whom Warnock will report. Warnock will start in his new role on July 22, 2024.
“I am thrilled to return to Maine and get to work leading Casco Bay Lines,” said Warnock. “I look forward to starting out by riding the boats to meet captains and crew and Casco Bay Islanders. My focus will be on safety first, on excellent service to islanders, good employee relations, and sound fiscal management.”
A Search Committee comprised of board members from Peaks, Long, Great Diamond and Cliff Islands worked with recruiting firm ProSearch to evaluate 75 applicants against the criteria in the job posting. The Search Committee interviewed seven candidates and brought two in to visit Casco Bay Lines. Semifinalists rode boats to Peaks and Long Island and met with selected citizens of several islands as well as three members of CBL senior staff and the union president.
Jean Hoffman, Chair of the Search Committee said, “Hiring the right leader to put CBL on track for the future is important to the islanders we serve and to captains, crew and staff. As a veteran of many searches, I can attest to the rigor and fairness of our process. John Warnock brings a history of learning, excelling at new challenges, effective management and helping companies leverage technology to improve productivity and lower costs.”
Dave Crowley, President, CBL Board of Directors, added, “The vote was unanimous to offer John Warnock the job of General Manager. John has our confidence and the enthusiasm of the entire board in taking the helm at CBL.”
As General Manager, Warnock will lead a dedicated team of management, marine and shoreside personnel which grows from 40+ year-round to 90 in the busy summer season. He will be responsible for leading day-to-day operations and long-range planning.
CBL’s Mission “is to provide sufficient dependable, reliable service in a safe and secure manner, as affordably as possible, so as to preserve our year-round island communities. CBITD shall also provide incidental tour and charter services to residents of and visitors to the Casco Bay region to enhance the quality and security of the District’s regular service to the islands.”
“I don’t think there is anything that could be thrown at John that he wouldn’t excel at,” said Nate Mills, President of the Casco Bay Lines’ union, Maine Maritime Association, and Senior Captain. “John’s strong operational background and commitment to safety will benefit both our team and the community we serve.”
John joins CBL from Worldwide Counter Threat Solutions, LLC, based in Virginia, where he helped clients with strategic planning and communications, process improvement and IT transformation. Most recently, as a Strategic Communication Analyst, John provided analysis and interpretation of federal and military codes, laws, operations orders and directives, as well as effective communications, staff collaboration and program management.
Previously, John was at NGROUP Performance Partners, an organization that does workforce management and helps companies leverage technology to increase productivity and lower costs. As a Senior/Regional Operations Manager, John oversaw managers/supervisors and 80 associates across three distribution centers in VA.
At the Navy Operational Support Center Norfolk, John was the Department Head in charge of 2,500 reserve sailors in 123 units. They were responsible for getting the right people on the right missions for their 25 “customers” and then managing those assets on each mission. John served in the Navy for 29 years.