Bollinger Shipyards announced that Andrew Hinkebein has been named director of government affairs and will lead all state and local government relations efforts. Andrew will join the Government & External Affairs division of Bollinger Shipyards under Executive Vice President Geoffrey Green, where he will collaborate with community and economic development partners to continue driving the company’s growth and success across the Gulf Coast.
“Andrew’s reputation and commitment to the Gulf Coast made him an obvious choice to represent Bollinger and its 4,000 employees in the communities, counties, parishes and states where we operate,” Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the hire. “Our greatest asset is our people and Andrew will be critical to ensuring that our world-class workforce across our 13 facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi enjoy the continued support of our elected leaders across the I-10 corridor.”
A seasoned government affairs leader with over 16 years of experience in navigating complex legislative and regulatory environments at the federal, state, and local levels, Hinkebein most recently served as state director for U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., where he oversaw operations across five offices, and collaborated with legislative staff to develop state-focused federal legislation.
“I’m thrilled to have Andrew join our growing team,” said Green. “Andrew will play a vital role in increasing Bollinger’s engagement with our elected and community leaders across our entire footprint. As a company, we are working hard to establish South Mississippi as the center of excellence in building world-class icebreakers, a trade that was nearly dead for a half century. Andrew, among other projects, will be working with our local and state partners to make this vision a reality.”
Prior to joining Sen. Tuberville’s team, Hinkebein held the role of southern regional director for U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., where he advised the senator on regional issues and defense policy initiatives. Hinkebein also spent time as the director of community and government relations at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, where he facilitated interactions with legislative bodies and advised on strategic messaging to advance the agency’s policy objectives.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Hinkebein was trained in intelligence at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and received commendations for his search and rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina.
