Captain Adams is Ultra Maritime’s first-ever Vice President for Unmanned and Rapid Capabilities Fielding Solutions. He is responsible to meet Ultra Maritime’s steadfast commitments and investments to quickly meet escalating security threats head on. Adams team leads the effort to bring state-of-the-art unmanned anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions such as Sea Spear and Sea Tracker to the U.S. Navy and its global allied partners.

Mr. Adams joins the NMDF Board after serving as the Director, National Museum Program Division (2024-2025) and Director of Navy Museums (2018-2022) for the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). His team was responsible to oversee the funding, design, construction, and staffing of a new world-class National Museum of the U.S. Navy. Notable achievements include the successful on-time, under-budget overhaul of Historic Ship Nautilus and the standup and initial funding of the Navy Museum Program.

After retirement, Mr. Adams also served as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings & Naval History, Program Manager Western Pacific for Oceaneering International, and as Director of Warfighting Effectiveness, Assessments, and Readiness (N9WAR) for the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

In uniform, Captain Adams commanded the Joint Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost, Afghanistan that was recognized by the Secretary of Defense as “a model of counterinsurgency success.” He then commanded USS Santa Fe (SSN 763), completing a highly successful Western Pacific Deployment for which the crew was recognized with a Navy Unit Commendation and received the highly-coveted 2011 Submarine Squadron Seven Battle Efficiency Award. Captain Adams’ last Navy command was USS Georgia (SSGN 729B) where he led the ship out of a major $80 million overhaul.

He also served on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, as Aide to Deputy U.S. Fleet Forces Command, as Speechwriter for the Chief of Naval Operations, and as Director, Commander’s Initiatives Group, U.S. Seventh Fleet.  

Captain Adams earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and was commissioned through the Nuclear Enlisted Commissioning Program. He is a graduate of the Royal Navy’s world renowned “Perisher” Submarine Command Course. He holds a master’s in strategic planning with highest honors from Naval Postgraduate School where he was awarded the Monterey Navy League Award for highest overall academic achievement.

He is an award-winning defense and national security writer. His series of impactful articles led to his selection for the U.S. Navy League’s Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for literary achievement.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, and two Distinguished Civilian Service Awards.

In addition to his service on the board of the Navy Museum Development Foundation, he also is a Contributing Editor to the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.