AAPA’s 2019 Spring Conference knocks it out of the park

Among the approximately 150 key public policy officials, influencers, business and port authority leaders who made AAPA’s 2019 Spring Conference in Washington, D.C., March 19-21, a success were:

• World Shipping Council President and CEO John W. Butler and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Rickey ‘R.D.’ James, both of whom provided keynote addresses;
• Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Michael Khouri and Commissioner Rebecca Dye, who provided a U.S. Shipping Act and supply chain facilitation update;
• NOAA Deputy Administrator and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere RDML Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., who discussed NOAA challenges and activities, and;
• Economist John C. Martin, Ph.D., president of Martin Associates, Lancaster, PA, who gave a report on his firm’s 2018 U.S. port economic impact analysis, coupled with data analytics presentations by panelists Jay Stecher, vice president of marketing and communications for Norfolk-based The Port of Virginia, and Don Meyer, president of Westfourth Communications, Alexandria, VA.

Other presentations included how the drivers of change can affect ports with regard to macroeconomic growth, the cost of capital, and shifts in demand and production; the criticality for public ports to maintain institutional credibility to achieve support for their missions and projects; a session titled Addressing Future Needs Through Workforce Development, featuring perspectives of academic and government experts; and sessions on U.S. infrastructure policy and trade policy.

The final day of this year’s Spring Conference was punctuated by 18 meetings with key Congressional and Administration leaders and their staff to advocate for U.S. port policy and funding issues.

To view the presentations from the 2019 Spring Conference, click here.