SECTOR LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMAND STAFF

Captain Roxanne Tamez

Captain Tamez assumed her position as Commander of Sector Lower Mississippi River on June 14, 2017. As Sector Commander, she serves as Captain of the Port, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection, and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator and is responsible for all Coast Guard missions being conducted by 225 Coast Guard men and women from 10 locations and aboard 6 cutters throughout Western Tennessee, Western Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Northern Louisiana. Major missions for the Sector include commercial vessel inspections, pollution response, waterways management, aids to navigation, maritime security, law enforcement, and search and rescue coordination.

Captain Tamez prior to her arrival at Sector Lower Mississippi River, served as the Deputy Commander, Coast Guard Sector Key West. In this capacity, she served as the deputy operational commander for Coast Guard missions within a 55,000-square nautical mile region bordering the territorial seas of Cuba and the Bahamas, comprising the Port of Key West, the Southern Straits of Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. She was also responsible for the operations of six tenant units, six Fast Response Cutters (FRC), three multi-mission Coast Guard Stations, and an Aids to Navigation Team.

Specializing in both the Information Technology and Operational (Response-Ashore) career fields, her assignment prior to Sector Key West was serving as the Executive Officer of the Operations Systems Center in Kearneyville, WV, a Coast Guard Information Technology Center of Excellence and one of three certified data centers for the Department of Homeland Security.

Prior to the Operations System Center, Captain Tamez's assignments include serving as Response Department Head at Sector Buffalo, NY, the Personnel Allowance Team Lead (CG-833) at CG Headquarters, as Sector Field Office Supervisor in East Moriches, NY, an Information Technology Project Officer at the Telecommunications and Information Systems Command (TISCOM) in Alexandria, VA, a Law Enforcement Duty Officer/FURA Liaison at the Greater Antilles Section (GANTSEC) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Assistant Operations Officer at Group Milwaukee, WI, and Assistant to the Gender Policy Advisor (CG-WTL) at CG Headquarters.

Captain Tamez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History/Government from the University of Houston in 1994, graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1995, and earned a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems Technology from the George Washington University in 2003. Included among various unit and personal awards, she has earned the advanced Boat Forces insignia, two Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, and holds professional certifications as a Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) and DHS Acquisition Project/Program Manager.

 Deputy Sector Commander

Commander Becky Walthour

Commander Becky Walthour assumed her current position as Deputy Sector Commander of Sector Lower Mississippi River in July of 2018. As Deputy Sector Commander, she serves as the Alternate Captain of the Port, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, and Acting Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection. She also has Active Search Suspension and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator authority and is responsible for all Coast Guard missions being conducted by 225 Coast Guard men and women from 10 locations and aboard 6 cutters throughout Western Tennessee, Western Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Northern Louisiana. Major missions for the Sector include commercial vessel inspections, pollution response, waterways management, aids to navigation, maritime security, law enforcement, and search and rescue coordination.

Prior to her arrival at Sector Lower Mississippi River, Commander Walthour served as USCG Atlantic Area’s Vessel Activities and Investigations Chief where she had direct oversight of Commercial Vessel Safety Programs, both foreign and domestic, across five Coast Guard Districts, Twenty-Six Sectors, as well as USCG Activities Europe. Additional prevention assignments have included Marine Safety Detachment Supervisor in Vicksburg, MS where she led all Sector Lower Mississippi River missions on more than 1000 river miles of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, Chief of Waterways Management and Facilities, Chief of Domestic Inspections, and Marine Inspector and Investigator all while assigned to Sector Delaware Bay, in Philadelphia, PA.  Commander Walthour’s career has also included a tour as a Coast Guard Officer Recruiter based out of Washington D.C., as well as a tour on the CGC MAPLE (WLB-207) as a Deck Watch Officer out of Sitka, AK.

Commander Walthour is a native of Newport News, VA and graduated form Virginia Tech with a Bachelors of Science in Education in 1997. After teaching for 3 years Commander Walthour entered the Coast Guard through Officer Candidate School in 2001. In 2005 Commander Walthour earned a Master’s of Science in Quality Systems Management.

Commander Walthour’s personal awards include the Coast Guard Marine Safety Insignia, Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, and four Coast Guard Achievement Medals with Operational Distinguishing device along with numerous other unit and campaign awards.

Command  Senior Enlisted Leader

Senior Chief Operations Specialist

Shane Carroll

Senior Chief Shane Carroll assumed the duties of Command Senior Chief of Sector Lower Mississippi River on June 8^th, 2018 where he serves as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader with a primary responsibility to advise the Sector Commander on issues and initiatives pertaining to all Coast Guard members and their families throughout the Sector. Most recently, Senior Chief Carroll served as the Sector Buffalo Command Center Supervisor in Buffalo, NY.

Originally from Orting, WA, Senior Chief Carroll enlisted in October 2002, and served aboard the Coast Guard Cutter CHASE (San Diego, CA) for one year before attending Operations Specialists “A” school in Petaluma, CA. Other assignments include: Group/ Air Station Astoria (Astoria, OR), Sector Honolulu (Honolulu, HI), Coast Guard Cutter MOHAWK (Key West, FL), Communications Area Master Station Pacific (Pt. Reyes, California), and Sector Detroit, (Detroit, MI).

Senior Chief Carroll is a proud graduate of the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy and the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Resource Development, Magna Cum Laude, from Hawaii Pacific University.

Senior Chief Carroll’s personal awards include: a Meritorious Service Medal with “O” device, a Coast Guard Commendation Medal, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals with “O” device, and three Commandants Letter of Commendation with “O” device.

He is married to the former Jennifer Lynn Evens and they are the very proud parents of two children: Isla, age four and Cole, age two.