On the Waterfront – Meet the Members of the Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee!

Captain Paul Mehler, USCG (Ret.)

Senior Port Captain, Alaska Region – Marathon Petroleum

Captain Paul Mehler serves as the Senior Port Captain for Marathon Petroleum, where he oversees all marine operations across the Alaska region. In this role, he ensures safe, efficient, and compliant maritime logistics in one of the most dynamic and strategically significant environments in the United States.

Prior to joining Marathon Petroleum, Captain Mehler honorably served over 25 years in the United States Coast Guard, culminating in his final assignment as Sector Commander and Captain of the Port for Western Alaska and the U.S. Arctic. In this capacity, he led multi-mission operations across a vast and complex area of responsibility, including critical oversight of safety, security, environmental protection, and emergency response for the Arctic maritime domain.

Throughout his distinguished Coast Guard career, Captain Mehler held a series of high-impact assignments, including: United States Senate Fellow – Senior Maritime Advisor, providing subject matter expertise on national maritime policy; Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Chicago, where he led regulatory and response operations across the Great Lakes; Coast Guard Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, facilitating interagency coordination at the national level; Operations Officer, International Training Division, conducting maritime security and safety engagements in over 46 countries; Supervisor, Marine Safety Detachment Bucksport, Maine, leading coastal regulatory enforcement; and Chief, Port State Control Division, Galveston, Texas, overseeing foreign vessel compliance and port security.

Captain Mehler is a seasoned Marine Inspector and Coast Guard Investigator and has served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) for multiple high-profile maritime incidents. He also served as a Port Commissioner for the Port of Alaska, further contributing to Alaska’s maritime governance and infrastructure.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and a Master of Science in Quality Systems Management.

Captain Mehler and his wife, Michelle, were first stationed in Alaska in 2012 and made Sterling their permanent home in 2015 following his retirement from active duty and transition to the private sector with Tesoro.