Captain Heather R. Mattern
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley
Captain Mattern assumed the duties of Commander, Sector Ohio Valley on July 1, 2022. In this position she oversees operations for an area of responsibility that includes all or part of 10 states ranging from the eastern portion of Missouri to the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, and from northern Alabama to Ohio. As the operational commander she leads over 400 Active Duty, Reserve, and Civilian members at the Sector, three Marine Safety Units, two Marine Safety Detachments, six River Tenders, and 3 Stations. These personnel provide marine safety, waterway management, maritime security, search and rescue, and environmental protection for over 3000 miles of navigable waterways on twelve major rivers that move 350 million tons of cargo annually.
Captain Mattern is from Dillsburg, PA and graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1998. Her first assignment was as an Engineer Officer onboard the multi-mission, 378’ USCGC SHERMAN. Her nearly three year assignment concluded with a six-month patrol during which the ship circumnavigated the world.
Captain Mattern was then assigned to Marine Safety Office Philadelphia in July 2001, as a Marine Inspector. There she was in charge of plan review and new construction oversight for U.S. flag vessels. In the summer of 2005, she was stationed at Activities Europe in Rotterdam, Netherlands as a Senior Marine Inspector. She completed inspections and investigations throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East assuring the safety of vessels operating internationally and in U.S. waters. She assumed the responsibilities of Chief, Inspections Division at Sector New York in July 2013 where she supervised over 40 marine inspectors and was in charge of regulating a commercial fleet responsible for carrying 60 million passengers and $210 billion in annual port cargo. In June 2017, she took Command of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City, where she oversaw vessel new construction and inspections, the law enforcement and pollution response for an area of responsibility encompassing 75,000 square miles, and the safe transit of mariners that transported over $125 billion in cargo and conducted 65,000 transits annually through the nation’s third busiest Vessel Traffic Service. She was most recently the Deputy Commander, Sector Charleston where she led over 700 Active Duty, Reserve, and Civilian members conducting Coast Guard operations and safeguarding the maritime transportation system across South Carolina and Georgia
Captain Mattern attended Naval Postgraduate School from 2009 to 2011, where she received her Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Her thesis work, focused on welding and corrosion in the marine environment and earned her the Surface Navy Association’s Award for Excellence in Warfare Research and the Naval Sea Systems and Naval Mechanical Engineering Award. After graduation she worked in the Office of Design and Engineering Standards at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C, where she worked on novel designs for commercial vessels and various regulation projects. Her work included notable contributions to the current Offshore Supply Vessel regulations and early Arctic environment design standards.
