AWO elects new leadership slate

Written by Marine Log Staff
New AWO chairman

Clark Todd, president & chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services.

The members of the American Waterways Operators elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association’s Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting.

Clark Todd, president & chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman succeeding Del Wilkins, president of Illinois Marine Towing, Inc.

Rick Iuliucci, vice president of the Vane Brothers Company, was elected vice chairman; and Brian Hughes, vice president operations & sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected treasurer.

“After an inspiring and productive year under Del’s leadership, we look forward to another promising year of opportunity with Clark at the helm,” said AWO president & CEO Jennifer Carpenter. “AWO is very fortunate to have industry leaders of such talent guiding our association and we are energized to work for and with these outstanding member leaders.”

In his remarks, Todd emphasized that the industry is successful because it is built on enduring values and ideas, and laid out his “forward into the future” plans for his chairmanship:

“My overarching focus as chairman will be to put people first by making sure our industry is focused on mariners over markets,” he said. “I will do that by working with all of our members, engaging with them from coast to coast, to draw from their diverse backgrounds, expertise, operating environments and perspectives, so we can not only take on the challenges of today that are affecting our people in the here and now, but also so we can take on the challenges that are going to define tomorrow.”

Noting several priorities for the near future, he highlighted mariner safety, decarbonization, and labor availability and said that AWO is key to the industry successfully navigating these challenges:

“AWO has been and will remain critical to helping us take on the challenges, and seize the opportunities of today and tomorrow,” said Todd. “Through AWO, we are far better positioned to shape our own future as an industry than if we each had to try to do that separately, on our own, while also operating our business.”

“Without us, there is no future,” Todd concluded. “We benefit from a strong AWO, and AWO is strongest when we are engaged. That’s why I intend to follow Del’s example and work with our members coast-to-coast to make sure everyone is heard.”

Categories: Inland, News Tags: , , , , ,