
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.