Dennis Rochford

Dennis Rochford is president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, a non-profit trade association serving port businesses throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. In addition to managing the association’s staff and overseeing the development of the port community’s automation network, Mr. Rochford represents the regional port community to government officials in Washington, D.C.; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Trenton, N.J.; and Dover, Delaware, concerning a range of key issues critical to the success of the Delaware River regional port complex.

Since becoming president in 1994, Mr. Rochford has worked to increase the profile of the Maritime Exchange throughout the tri-state region and nationally. The most significant accomplishment to date is the development of Maritime On-Line, a computer network that captures and disseminates vessel, cargo and crew list information between and among port-related businesses and federal regulatory agencies. Also noteworthy is the Exchange’s initiative in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration in the development of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), a national electronic credentialing system.

Mr. Rochford is a founding member and past president of the National Association of Maritime Organizations and serves as chairman of the North Atlantic Ports Association Maritime Committee. He also serves on the board of directors of the American Institute for International Steel, Ports of Philadelphia Maritime Society, the Port of Wilmington Maritime Society, the Chilean American Chamber of Commerce and the PENJERDEL Council. Mr. Rochford was elected a member of the American Bureau of Shipping in 2001. He serves on the boards of directors of the Delaware Military Academy and the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Rochford is the current chairman of the Delaware First Media board of directors. He is a commission member of the Delaware Health Care Commission and is former chairman of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council.

Mr. Rochford’s expertise on issues of governmental and business importance resulted in weekly Monday evening appearances as a commentator on the former WHYY-TV 12’s news program, Delaware Tonight., for a period of 11 years.

Following his graduation from LaSalle College, where he was a ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate, Mr. Rochford served as captain in command and general staff positions in the U.S. Army in Germany and Vietnam. Mr. Rochford earned a Master of Business Administration from Temple University, where he was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma National Scholastic Honors Fraternity.

Mr. Rochford resides in Wilmington, Delaware.