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Updated: September 17, 2025

Maritime veteran takes helm of Casco Bay Lines

Provided image Casco Bay Lines names Ben Dinsmore as GM and CEO.
By Tina Fischer

After a nationwide search, Portland’s Casco Bay Lines island ferry service has brought aboard Ben Dinsmore to lead the 44-year-old nonprofit as general manager and CEO. 

The Casco Bay Island Transit District provides passenger, vehicle and freight service seven days a week, year-round. The ferries transport more than 1 million passengers, 35,000 vehicles and over 500,000 pieces of freight annually. 

Dinsmore replaces John Warnock, who resigned in March, after succeeding longtime general manager Hank Berg. 

“[Dinsmore] brings the strong leadership Casco Bay Lines needs as he steps into this new role,” said senior Captain Nate Mills, president of the Maine Marine Labor Association, the union that represents Casco Bay Lines employees.  

Dinsmore's background

A seasoned maritime professional with over 25 years of global experience, Dinsmore brings operational expertise, strategic leadership and an understanding of Maine’s island communities.

Dinsmore will guide the transit district through key initiatives, including fleet modernization, capital planning and continued service reliability.

Dinsmore, a resident of Brunswick, was raised on Maine’s coast and is the son of a Maine State Ferry Service captain. He has captained large commercial vessels, overseen vessel construction and held senior roles overseeing marine operations in both offshore oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. 

His career also includes eight years of commissioned service in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and Dinsmore previously owned R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware, a Hancock-based engineering company that manufactures marine driveline components. 

Dinsmore has a degree in marine transportation from Maine Maritime Academy and has an MBA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. 

“Growing up on the coast of Maine, I developed a deep respect for the working waterfront and island communities,” said Dinsmore. “I understand the seasonal rhythms of life on the islands and the unique challenges they bring. Casco Bay Lines is more than a ferry service; it’s a lifeline, a connector of communities, and a reflection of the people who call these islands home. I’m honored to help steward that mission.”

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