M.E.B.A. Leadership

The District Executive Committee is the elected governing body of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. These are the officers who represent you.

Context

The District Executive Committee

The District Executive Committee is the body that runs M.E.B.A. day to day. Its five officers are elected directly by the membership to four year terms, and every one of them has sailed. They set bargaining priorities, oversee the union halls and represent M.E.B.A. to employers, to government and to the wider labor movement.

Quick Facts

Term length

4 years

Members

Next election

2028

The President

President

Adam Vokac

A Kings Point valedictorian who drove straight from the graduation ceremony to the New York hall to join the union, and who has since sailed every propulsion mode there is.

Adam Vokac is M.E.B.A.’s National President serving at the Union’s Headquarters in Washington D.C. Wellknown to members when he took over in January 2021, Adam guided the Union through the pandemic, successfully helping our mariners navigate through the worst of the crew change crisis that was created by restrictive global border and travel constraints. He made sure mariners were properly incentivized to support the vaccination effort and ensured the execution of company mandates didn’t cause undue harm on our mariner force. Adam has dedicated himself to tirelessly pursuing great-paying jobs with full benefits for our membership. He has been relentless in enforcing and upgrading our contracts to continually elevate our mariners’ working conditions, medical and pension benefits for long-term family stability and compensation - the gold standard in the maritime industry. Living conditions at sea continue to improve under Adam’s watch with the Union’s perseverance on issues such as at-sea connectivity, improved work schedules, rest hours, adequate manning, safe workplaces and access to cutting edge quality training. He previously served as the Union’s Executive Vice President for two terms at the M.E.B.A. Union hall in Oakland following a term as Representative in the Union’s Honolulu hall. As M.E.B.A. President, he is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the M.E.B.A. Benefit Plans. He is also Chairman of the Board of the American Maritime Congress. Adam graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point as Valedictorian in 2000. Immediately after the ceremony he drove to M.E.B.A.’s New York/New Jersey hall and joined the Union. He continued his education at MIT and earned Master’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Ocean Systems Management. Adam has sailed on a wide array of vessel types and all propulsion modes, Steam/Diesel/Gas Turbine/Nuclear and has an Unlimited Horsepower Chief Engineer’s License.

Based at M.E.B.A. Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

The Committee

District Executive Committee

Hover or tap any card to learn more.

Secretary-Treasurer

Roland Rexha

Roland “Rex” Rexha serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the M.E.B.A., a position he has held since 2021. His maritime career includes working for over a decade with the Staten Island Ferries, where he successfully settled one of the largest prevailing wage cases in New York City history. Prior to his time with the ferries, Rex sailed as an engineer on Deep-Sea vessels for the Union, gaining experience with notable companies such as Interlake, Central Gulf, APL, Keystone, and Patriot. He is a proud recipient of the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal, having earned it twice. Additionally, Rex is currently the youngest sitting Vice President on the AFL-CIO's Executive Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Washington, D.C.

Executive Vice President

Max Alper

Max Alper is the Union’s Executive Vice President, elected to the position in 2024. A 2010 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, he shipped out on a variety of vessels, first on the Great Lakes and later deep-sea. His acumen for the job and dedication to the Union were noticed and he was appointed as the Patrolman at the Oakland hall in 2017 where he brought energy and a high-level of service to our membership. During his eight years in that capacity, he immersed himself into the work and distinguished himself as a shrewd negotiator, while heading up innovative ways to modernize and streamline the shipping experience for members. He is part of the M.E.B.A. District Executive Committee (DEC), the Union’s governing board, and serves as a Trustee for the M.E.B.A. Trusts and sub-trusts as well as the American Maritime Congress.

Oakland, CA

Atlantic Coast Vice President

Jason Callahan

Jason Callahan has served as the M.E.B.A.’s Atlantic Coast Vice President since 2017 working out of the Union’s NY/NJ hall. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Jason earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering in 1999. He initially sailed with Military Sealift Command (MSC) supporting U.S. Navy Special Operations. After completing his time with MSC in 2000, Jason shipped out of the hall with the M.E.B.A. on a variety of vessels, eventually earning his Chief Engineer’s license. He served as a Merchant Marine Officer with the United States Navy Reserve and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant after 10 years of service. Jason sailed as a permanent with Matson Navigation onboard the M/V MAUNAWILI for four years, before bringing his years of expertise ashore to serve the membership as an official.

Jersey City, NJ

Gulf Coast Vice President

Adam Smith

Houston, TX