Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime Celebration 2025
Event Info
Celebrate the contributions of women maritime leaders with Marine Log!
Every year, Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime Awards honor a diverse group of women for their extraordinary professional achievements—whether their careers are shoreside or onboard a vessel.
Join us December 2 from 5:30 to 8:30pm for our second annual in-person celebration! Enjoy drinks and networking with like-minded industry professionals as we recognize the 2025 Top Women in Maritime Award winners. It will be an event filled with inspiring stories and connections both established and new.
TOP WOMEN IN MARITIME AWARDS
As the maritime industry continues to diversify and to attract more women, it’s essential to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the women leading the way.
Each year, the Marine Log editorial team carefully selects the 20 Top Women in Maritime, representing diverse backgrounds, ages, and locations. These women are chosen based on nominations from our readers, and we invite them to share their proudest achievements in their maritime careers—be it in shoreside management, onboard a vessel, or in another field.
For the past five years, we have shared their incredible industry contributions in the magazine, published interviews with each woman on the website, and shared many of their comments through video interviews.
This year, our Top Women in Maritime Celebration moves to a larger event space. We anticipate a record-number of attendees coming together to celebrate these groundbreaking women in person and finding inspiration in their stories.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Update: Elizabeth Bayly O’Connor, Chief Counsel, MARAD, will deliver the keynote address to kick off our celebration.
Stepping in as keynote speaker is Elizabeth Bayly O’Connor, Chief Counsel of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). As a senior member of MARAD’s leadership team, O’Connor oversees the agency’s legal strategy in support of its mission to strengthen and advance the U.S. maritime industry.
Rear Adm. Zeita Merchant, Assistant Commandant for Workforce Management at the U.S. Coast Guard, is no longer able to keynote due to unforeseen travel restrictions. Merchant personally expressed her regret at being unable to attend. She will still be honored as one of Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime award recipients for 2025.
O’Connor brings more than a decade of high-level legal experience to the podium. Before joining MARAD, she served as Senior Counsel to the House Committee on Homeland Security, advising members and staff on national security oversight and investigations. She holds degrees from the College of William and Mary, the University of Maryland School of Law, and the University of Baltimore School of Business.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Charlotte Bollinger
Marine Log introduces its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Celebration. The award recognizes an individual whose career has made a lasting impact on the maritime industry through leadership, innovation and mentorship.
The inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award is Charlotte Bollinger, executive vice president and corporate secretary of Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards, who has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of one of America’s leading shipbuilding and repair companies.
Charlotte is a founding board member of the Lafourche Parish Education Foundation, reflecting her deep commitment to civic leadership, community development, and the advancement of educational excellence. She is a founding board member of Restore or Retreat, an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving Louisiana’s coastline and advancing critical flood risk reduction projects that safeguard citizens, businesses, and coastal infrastructure. Charlotte is also a founding board member of the Water Institute of the Gulf and served as Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans Ballet Association, helping expand and enrich the region’s cultural and artistic landscape.
Her leadership and business expertise have been recognized at the state, national, and international levels. She has been appointed by multiple Louisiana governors to task forces focused on statewide priorities including educational initiatives, workforce development, and the Highway One Coalition which strengthens the essential access route to America’s domestic energy corridor through Port Fourchon. She was also appointed by United States Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole to serve on the United States Coast Guard Advisory Council.
THE VENUE
Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime Celebration will take place at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, just a 10-minute walk from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
The impressive US Freedom Pavilion features essential tools of the WWII war effort, showcasing six fully restored iconic warbirds including a General Motors TBM Avenger.
Attendees enter through the Fire House Entrance, located at 1043 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA.
SPONSORSHIPS
Sponsorships are available for this event. If you’d like your company to join in the celebration, contact David Harkey at M: 973.563.0109 or [email protected].
CONTACT US
Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected].
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
PREMIER ASSOCIATION SPONSOR
Marine Log is proud to have Women in Maritime Operations (WIMOs) as the premier association sponsor of this event. WIMOs is a non-profit organization dedicated to retaining, advancing, and promoting women in the maritime industry through sharing knowledge and continuing education. Their members are women who are actively employed in the maritime industry, including individuals who own, operate, charter, dispatch, or provide other types of logistical, safety, and emergency management services on the water.
ASSOCIATION SPONSOR
We are also pleased to have the support of WISTA USA. Founded in 1997, WISTA USA is among the largest National WISTA Associations (NWAs) worldwide, with over 900 members spread across twelve regional Chapters: Connecticut; Delaware River & Bay Area; Florida; Great Lakes/Midwest; Hampton Roads; New England; New Orleans; New York / New Jersey; the Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Washington, and Oregon); Texas; Washington, DC Metro; and West Coast (California and Hawai’i). Their members represent all facets of the maritime industry, including shipowners, charterers, operators, brokers, bankers, insurance professionals, attorneys, analysts, and government officials.
ASSOCIATION SPONSOR
Added support for this event is provided by The Women Offshore Foundation. Also known as Women Offshore, this non-profit organization and resource center supports a diverse workforce on the water. Women Offshore seeks to propel women+ into meaningful careers through access to a worldwide community and professional development resources, while raising awareness amongst industry leaders and decision makers about issues affecting women on the water. Their mission includes eliminating gender-based discrimination through an intersectional approach. Their membership includes women and members of marginalized gender identities and expressions.
