Capt. Christopher Cederholm relieved Capt. Jo-Ann Burdian as the commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, Friday, during a change-of-command ceremony at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach.
Cederholm reported to Sector Miami from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound where he was the deputy sector commander since 2019. Burdian, the first Latina sector commander, will transfer to Coast Guard Headquarters as the assistant commandant for response policy.
Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, the Coast Guard Seventh District Commander, presided over the event.
Sector Miami is composed of more than 900 active-duty, reserve and civilian personnel, and more than 1,300 auxiliarists. The sector has four small boat stations, six Fast Response Cutters, three Coastal Patrol Boats, one Construction Tender, two aids to navigation teams and one Marine Safety Detachment.
In the past year, Sector Miami conducted, as part of the Coast Guard Seventh District, numerous search and rescue cases saving and assisting more than 1,400 lives. In the fourth largest port in the country, Sector Miami teams conducted approximately 9,000 vessel and facility inspections.
The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored tradition. It represents a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability from one individual to another. The event ensures the continuity of leadership and operations within the sector’s area of responsibility.