Emily Hopkins has been promoted to the position of Assistant Director of MITAGS, and will be responsible for the day-to-day administration and operations of the West Coast Campus. Glen Paine, Executive Director of MITAGS and MCCBWI, said “Emily brings a wealth of experience to this role and her knowledge and understanding of the industry will continue to serve customers, students, and MITAGS over the years to come. We are thrilled to have her in this key position.”
Emily just celebrated her 12th year with MITAGS this month. Her time at MITAGS has provided a level of institutional knowledge and operational expertise that only time and experience provide. Throughout her tenure, Emily’s primary mission has been to help ensure MITAGS provides the highest caliber maritime training possible. This is not just a professional commitment for Emily, but a personal one as well, as her spouse has been a merchant mariner for 30 years. Eric Friend, Director of MITAGS, said “Emily’s leadership has been tested and proven over 12 years. The passion and excitement she brings to work every day along with her commitment to our customers, students, and staff makes her the obvious choice for this position.”
The highlight for Emily has always been working with the amazing and talented team at MITAGS, both East and West coasts. “I love working here and have been so fortunate to work with incredible people. I am fully committed to doing everything I can to facilitate our success and continue fulfilling our mission.”
Emily’s prior experience includes marine operations, training & development programs, and human resources. She holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional® in human resources.
Related Posts

Effective January 1, 2021, Capt. Jonathan (Jon) Kjaerulff has assumed the duties of Director of Business Development at MITAGS. Jon succeeds Capt. Bob Becker, who is retiring this year, but will maintain his association with MITAGS as a consultant. With this new promotion, and as a member of the senior management team at MITAGS, Jon’s mission is to identify customer needs and craft solutions in all the areas where MITAGS operates – not just training, but in customized simulation, research and apprenticeship programs. Jon is also helping MITAGS implement new and exciting training and assessment methodologies, such as Digital Learning, Virtual and Augmented Reality.
“This is a very exciting and challenging time to be in the training business,” says Jon. “So many basic concepts about how, where and to whom we provide instruction and assessment have changed in the last few months. Our customers demand quality programs that can be delivered more effectively and efficiently, which respect their employees’ time but also enhance their knowledge and safety skills. As the world changes around us, I look forward to helping MITAGS navigate these new, uncharted waters while maintaining our position as the Leader in Maritime Training and Simulation.”

There are plenty of reasons to choose a career in the maritime industry. The non-traditional schedule with longer concentrations of work and time off, for instance, can be very appealing to some. A life at sea also allows you to see the world and get paid to do it. While life as a mariner can […]

To commemorate our 50th Anniversary year MITAGS is releasing a special limited edition challenge coin. The coin features our 50th Year Anniversary Celebration logo and a view from our full-mission simulator. Only 1,000 coins have been issued, and each coin is uniquely numbered, making this a great collector’s item! The celebratory challenge coin is available […]