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IN MEMORIAM
Rear Admiral John P. Neagley, USN (ret)
1960 – 2026 | Founding Board Member
It is with profound sadness that we honor the life and enduring service of Founding Board Member Dir, Rear Admiral John P. Neagley, USN (Ret.), who passed away on August 5, 2026, at his home in San Diego at the age of 66.
Over a distinguished 35-year naval career—commanding USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), modernizing fleet communications at SPAWAR, and serving as Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Unmanned and Small Combatants—John stood at the vanguard of naval autonomy and acquisition.
Following his active service, John brought that same clarity, strategic rigor, and generous mentorship to our board, championing the commercialization of resilient dual-use ocean technologies. His steady leadership and vision remain foundational to our mission.
Memorial Contributions
In accordance with his family’s wishes, gifts in Admiral Neagley’s memory may be directed to:
Official Tributes & Service Records
Salted Mud Season Trials - Early April 2027
STEEL & SALT SUMMIT | JUNE 7-10, 2027
Where Industrial Grit Meets Transatlantic Innovation
STEEL & SALT SUMMIT 2027
Reciprocal Bearing: The Dual-Use BlueTech Continuum
June 7–10, 2027 | Maine Maritime Museum | Bath, Maine
Opening with an evening reception on June 7, the Steel & Salt Summit launches core programming on United Nations World Oceans Day (June 8) as the specialized dual-use track of Maine Blue Economy Week. Because deploying hardware in harsh marine environments demands crossing a steep commercialization "Valley of Death," the summit convenes a cross-disciplinary ecosystem to align breakthrough hardware innovation, blended capital (defense, venture, and patient funding), and proactive maritime regulatory navigation.
Grounded in Maine’s deep shipbuilding heritage and extreme North Atlantic testing waters, the summit activates strategic transatlantic relationships across the High North and NATO, while anchoring an emerging regional hub-and-spoke model that unites operational proving grounds, applied student education, and skilled emerging tech workforce pipelines. Programming culminates on June 10 with coastal facility tours, industrial site visits, and in-water demonstrations of next-generation marine craft and decarbonized propulsion systems.
Stay in the loop as the agenda and speaker lineup unfold:
BATH, MAINE PHOTO BY RICK BERK PHOTOGRAPHY