Two New Trustees, Executive Committee Member and Vice Chair Elected to Coast Guard Foundation Board

At its annual meeting on November 18, 2025, the Coast Guard Foundation Board of Directors and Trustees elected two new members to the board and elected Rear Admiral J. Timothy Riker, USCGR (Ret.), as Vice Chair. Their service officially began on January 1, 2026. The board is led by Chairman Thomas Allegretti.

In addition, Charley Diaz, a Coast Guard Foundation board member since 2018, was elected to serve a two-year term on the board’s executive committee.

“Strong leadership and experience are critical to advancing our mission,” said Tom Allegretti. “We are thrilled to welcome Barbara Pickering and Heath Jones to our board and to have Rear Admiral Riker serve as Vice Chair and add Charley Diaz to the executive committee. Their expertise and commitment will help ensure we continue supporting Coast Guard members and their families at every stage of service.”

Charley Diaz joined the Coast Guard Foundation Board of Directors and Trustees in 2018 and was elected to the Executive Committee in 2026. In addition, he chairs the Nominating and Trustee Engagement committee.  He is a Senior Director at Saildrone Inc. where he oversees Homeland Security and Defense programs. Prior to joining Saildrone, he worked at Huntington Ingalls Industries and was President of Guardian Maritime Solutions. As a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain, he has 30 years of operational and managerial experience across all Coast Guard mission areas. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Naval War College and holds an MPA from Harvard University. He also served as a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institute and as a Coast Guard Fellow on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Rear Admiral J. Timothy Riker, USCGR (Ret.) began his Coast Guard Foundation board service in 2024. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1970 and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1971. His active-duty and reserve assignments included time aboard Cutters Hamilton and Unimak, and overseas duties during Operations Desert Storm and Uphold Democracy (Haiti). He retired in 2000 as the Service’s senior reserve officer. From 2006 -- 2010 he returned to active status and performed a variety of flag assignments. He is presently the Regents Board Chair of the Foundation for Coast Guard History. A graduate of Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio, Rear Admiral Riker practices law in Cincinnati.

Master Chief Heath B. Jones served as the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 2022 to August 2025, acting as the service’s senior enlisted leader and principal advisor to the Commandant. He currently serves as Vice President of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships for Bollinger Shipyards. He holds degrees in organizational management, with a specialty in human resource management. Master Chief Jones and his wife, Carol, reside in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Barbara Pickering has served as president of Chevron Shipping since 2024, following her role as vice president of operations. She joined Chevron in 1991 as a ship charterer in London and later held positions across the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in maritime studies from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.