Jim Landon has been all about the mission since he was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps almost 30 years ago and took his first assignment leading marines in an overseas operation. This time around, his mission will be to lead the men and women who work to promote compliance with federal laws that support sustainable fisheries and that protect marine mammals, endangered species, and National Marine Sanctuaries.
As the newly-appointed head of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Landon brings a unique combination of skills to an office that is responsible for enforcing more than 35 federal statutes over more than 3 million nautical miles of open ocean, 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline, 13 National Marine Sanctuaries, and Marine National Monuments. OLE is also responsible for enforcing the laws that implement U.S. treaties and international law, supporting state and territorial cooperation through joint enforcement agreements with 27 coastal states and U.S. territories, and partnering with other agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard…