Commodore Steven M. Budar

National Past Commodore

Commodore Steven M. Budar assumed his duties as Immediate Past National Commodore of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary on 1 November 2008.

Commodore Budar was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is a 1974 graduate of the University Of Michigan School Of Business in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he earned his Bachelor’s of Business Administration. He received professional designations as a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) in 1984 and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) in 1986 from the American College in Bryn Mar, Pennsylvania.

The Commodore has spent over 33 years in the insurance and financial services industry in California and Hawaii. He is currently President and CEO of The Dragon Group Inc. a financial services consulting company and owner of The Budar Agency, in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii. He has served on numerous private and charitable boards of directors throughout his professional career.

Commodore Budar began his Coast Guard Auxiliary career in 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii and has served in every elected position in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. In addition, he has held numerous appointed positions on Flotilla, District and National Staffs. In 2001, Steve was appointed the Director of Development for the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association Inc., the non profit entity providing business management and financial support to the thousands of civilian volunteers of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. As Director of Development, he managed the non-profit Association’s efforts to build a development program to raise supplemental revenue in support of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

During his term as National Commodore, Budar initiated the Leadership Guidance Team, developed the Auxiliary Sector Coordinator position and lead the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s effort to modernize its organizational structure. The modernization throughout the Regions supports a stronger unity of command along with a better focus of Auxiliary resources as needed in direct support of Coast Guard programs and missions.

Commodore Budar and wife Mary Kay are active members of Flotilla 3-13 in the 14th District. They reside in Kailua Kona, Hawaii and have 3 adult children: Jessica, Sophea and George.