Custis named top 20 women in maritime

Erica Custis, a 1995 graduate of Northampton High School who grew up boating on Eastern Shore bayside creeks, has been recognized by Marine Log Magazine as one of the top 20 women in maritime for 2025.

Custis was presented the award at a conference in New Orleans in early December.

Custis, the daughter of Paul and Wanda Custis of Painter, spent 16 years as a ship assist tug captain with Moran Towing in Hampton Roads before being named General Manager for the Port of Wilmington, N.C, where she oversees tug operations supporting commercial vessel traffic.

Custis attended Radford University on a field hockey scholarship and majored in art and philosophy. Following college with no job prospects and being a  boater from an early age, she signed up to be a deckhand on ocean-going sailing vessels. Wanting to pursue a career in the maritime industry, she earned a degree from Texas A&M Maritime Academy.

Although there were some challenges entering a male-dominated world, Custis proved her worth as a tugboat captain in her 16 years in Norfolk and then beat out several male applications for the general manager position in Wilmington, N.C. She also serves as the president of the Propeller Club in Wilmington and participates on the Marine Safety Committee.

Erica said it took persistence to achieve career milestones, including gaining her first class pilot license and maintaining confidence in her abilities in a male-dominated industry.