2024 NATIONAL HARBOR SAFETY COMMITTEE CONFERENCE AGENDA
Registration and Check In
08:30 - 09:00
Coffee and Networking
Welcome Remarks
09:00 - 09:10
Capt. Mike McElroy, President of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee
Introduction of the Commandant
09:10 - 09:15
Rear Admiral John Hickey, Commander, USCG Ninth District
Keynote Remarks
09:15 - 09:35
Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Distinguished Harbor Safety Committee Award
09:35 - 09:45
Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Break
09:45 - 10:15
History of the National Harbor Safety Committee Conference and Vision for the Future
10:15 - 10:20
James Prazak, Past President, Lone Start Harbor Safety Committee
Panel 1: Federal Agency Perspectives
10:20 - 11:25
Panel Objectives: Provide a high-level scene-setter through federal perspectives on the most pressing challenges within the Marine Transportation System; Highlight issues that keep the agencies up at night and what Harbor Safety Committees can do to help address the most pressing challenges.
Moderator:
TBD
Panelists:
Rachael Dempsey, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Navigation, Observations, and Positioning, NOAA’s National Ocean Service
MG William “Butch” Graham, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (invited)
RADM Jon Hickey, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District
RADM Ann Phillips (USN, ret), Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration (invited)
Kevin Sligh, Director, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
The Chicago Model
11:30 - 11:50
Capt. Mike McElroy, President of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee
Transition to Pier
11:50 - 12:05
Lunch onboard Odyssey Lake Michigan
12:05 - 13:05
Hosted by City Cruises
Panel 2: Harbor Safety Committee Management Best Practices
13:30 - 15:00
Panel Objectives: Highlight critical elements of Harbor Safety Committee (HSC) management to inform and inspire; Initiate conversation about how communications can be improved across HSCs to continually leverage expertise.
Moderator:
Mike Emerson, Director, USCG Marine Transportation Systems Management
Panelists:
Capt. Bob Blair, Chair, Massachusetts Bay Harbor Safety Committee, and Senior Pilot, Eastern Point Pilots
Capt. John DeCruz, Chair, Harbor Safety, Navigation, and Operations Committee of the Port of New York/New Jersey, and Pilot, The United NY/NJ Sandy Hook Pilots Association
John McDermott, Member/Sector Lead for Human Powered Craft, Chicago Harbor Safety Committee
JJ Plunkett, Chair of the Waterways Utilization Subcommittee, Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee, and Chief Operating Officer/Port Agent, Houston Pilots
TBD
Break
15:00 - 15:30
Panel 3: Challenges and Solutions for Managing a Congested Waterway
15:30 - 17:00
Panel Objectives: Highlight real-world examples of HSC efforts/initiatives successfully executed to manage congestion to keep the public safe and facilitate commerce; Learn about the diversity of congestion challenges facing HSCs nationwide.
Moderator:
Mike Borgstrom, Founding Member and Past President, Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, and President, Wendella Boats
Panelists:
CAPT John Cameron (USCG, ret.), Executive Board Member, Charleston Area Harbor Safety Committee, and Executive Director, Charleston Branch Pilots Association
Don Campbell, Vice President, Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, and Manager of Operations and Compliance, Middle River Marine
CAPT Greg Hitchen (USCG, ret.), Member, Harbor Safety, Navigation, and Operations Committee of the Port of New York/New Jersey, and Director, Vessel Traffic Service, USCG Sector New York
Dan Plumley, Chair, Southeast Texas Waterways Advisory Council, and Director, Sabine Pass LNG at Cheniere Energy, Inc
CAPT Ryan Manning (USCG), Commander, USCG Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach
Closing Remarks
17:00 - 17:05
Capt. Mike McElroy, President of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee