What Others Say

Mick Kronman has more maritime experience than just about anyone I’ve ever met. A three-time state Harbormaster of the Year, Mick oversaw many functions in Santa Barbara Harbor, including harbor patrol, major events like the Harbor & Seafood Festival and Parade of Lights, and day to day management of an 1,100-slip harbor. He juggled interests of recreational boaters, commercial fisherman, tourist boats, and visiting vessels in a fair and diplomatic manner. You won’t find anyone with more working-harbor expertise than Mick Kronman.

I first met Eric when my company, Trident Winds Inc. (Trident), approached the City of Morro Bay, California, leadership in mid 2015 as part of the early stakeholder’s outreach while preparing Trident’s unsolicited lease request to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the development of a commercial scale offshore wind farm off the Central Coast of California. The BOEM leasing process is a multi-year endeavor that required close communications and cooperation with the City of Morro Bay. As harbormaster, Eric was appointed by the City to become a liaison person between Trident, the fishing community and the community at large. He became a true collaborative partner in assisting Trident to navigate the various local, state, and federal issues and processes inherent in such a project. I could not have asked for a better experience working with Eric over the years.

I’ve worked with Mick Kronman on several issues in his capacity as a fisheries consultant. We’ve enjoyed considerable success on topics ranging from state legislation to local rules and regulations. Extremely knowledgeable in marine affairs, Mick has proved himself dependable, skilled at public-policy work, and an exceptional writer and speaker. Anyone needing a maritime consultant in California, should strongly consider Mick Kronman for the job.

As a former long-time boat owner and Santa Barbara City Harbor Commissioner, I worked closely with Mick on many occasions. I found him effective in reaching consensus, or on occasion when enforcement was required, he went out of his way to make sure all parties understood the reasons and underlying policies involved. Prior to my time on the Commission, I knew of Mick as the Harbormaster who was always out and about in the marinas. He was that “tall guy who the harbor patrol worked for.” Everyone in the harbor knew Mick. He was consistently available either on the docks or in his office. If you had a problem, you could always go to Mick. Along with his patrol supervisor, Mick set the tone for how Harbor Patrol interacted with the public. You will not find a more professional, caring and engaged marine safety and law enforcement unit anywhere.

As a key manager in the Waterfront Department, part of Mick’s job was to make presentations to and implement changes requested by the Harbor Commission. Our interaction with Mick was always positive. As a diverse, lay body of volunteer citizens overseeing a complex operation like the city’s waterfront, issues were not always straightforward. Mick patiently walked us through complex agenda items and helped us reach the best, most equitable decisions.

As harbormaster, Mick helped develop many successful waterfront policies. For example, when the increased popularity of stand-up paddleboards hit the harbor and caused safety and navigation problems, not only did Mick’s team have to create new safety policies (making sure everyone received instruction and carried a life jacket) but also manage conflicts between paddleboards and larger boats with limited maneuverability in a tight harbor. The solution was a combination of requiring board-rental businesses to provide safety and operational training and signage (shore-based and on the water) along with awareness communication to boat operators. This went a long way to addressing the key safety and navigational issues but it also required a change in patrol activity, training and vigilance. In was, in short, an example of Mick’s expertise in turning tough maritime challenges into great outcomes.

I have known and worked with Mick Kronman in his capacities both as Harbormaster and maritime consultant. Most recently, Mick helped our company, Santa Barbara Landing (SBL), earn a lease from the City of Santa Barbara to operate four ocean-dependent businesses at the harbor. Mick’s experience with government practice and policy, as well as his exceptional writing skills, proved invaluable to this effort. In the words of the City’s Harbor Commission, our proposal “far exceeded the quality competing proposals.” Mick was a large contributor to that success. I would highly recommend Mick Kronman to any government agency or private company as a maritime consultant. You won’t be sorry.