Jennifer Carpenter to keynote TTB 2022 in Mobile

Written by Heather Ervin
Jennifer Carpenter, AWO President & CEO

Jennifer Carpenter, AWO president and CEO

Marine Log’s TTB (Tugs, Towboats & Barges) 2022 conference is set to go live and in person March 29-30 in Mobile, Ala., with a full agenda and an offsite tour in the works.

The event will take place at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in partnership with The American Waterways Operators (AWO). The theme and focus will be on “Readying the fleet and workforce for the future.”

Shifting market and regulatory demands mean that the tug, towboat and barge industry is navigating many challenges and opportunities—from addressing a shortage in skilled labor, to maximizing productivity, to keeping up with the latest technology available to the market.

Opening the event with a keynote address on the morning of March 29 is Jennifer Carpenter, president and CEO of AWO, the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat, and barge industry.

She will speak on:

  • How the industry is critical to tackling today’s economic supply chain and environmental challenges; and
  • How it is adapting and evolving to respond to future operational, workforce and public policy challenges.

MEET JENNIFER CARPENTER

Carpenter joined AWO in August 1990 and became president and CEO in January 2020.

Before assuming her current position, she worked her way up the hawsepipe from government affairs assistant to executive vice president and chief operating officer, holding a series of progressively responsible positions. These position included Manager-Regulatory Issues, director-government affairs, vice president-government affairs, senior vice president-government affairs and policy analysis, senior vice president-national advocacy, and executive vice president.

She served for 13 years as a member of the congressionally authorized Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). She has received two Meritorious Public Service awards and a Public Service Commendation from the U.S. Coast Guard for her contributions to the TSAC and the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership.

She serves on the board of trustees of The Seamen’s Church Institute. She is also the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) Vice President, as well as chair of AMP’s Offshore Wind Committee.

Carpenter holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations, law and organization from Georgetown University, an M.S. in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University, and was a Georgetown University China Studies Fellow at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Carpenter resides in Alexandria, Va., with her family.

TTB 2022

The venue, located in Mobile Bay off the Spanish River, is not only close to museums, golf courses and the USS Alabama, it’s also close to industry yards, including Austal USA, Alabama Shipyard, Metal Shark Alabama, the Port of Mobile, and more.

In addition to two days of in-person discussions and dynamic Q&A sessions, the event will feature ample opportunities for networking.

As maritime recovers from COVID-19 and handles the challenges of finding and maintaining a quality workforce, the tug, towboat and barge industry is expected to experience continued growth and innovation under a new regulatory landscape and on the cusp of technological advances. The collaboration between Marine Log and the AWO enables both organizations to share resources and industry knowledge in support of the TTB industry at this critical juncture.

As ever, a focus of the program will be on lessons learned from hard-earned, real-life experience. In addition, the program will explore new ways to meet economic and environmental targets through advances in technology, finding new opportunities for the TTB market in offshore, and the latest trends in vessel design.

TOUR

A highlight of this year’s event will be an in-person, tour of Austal USA shipyard in Mobile. More info on this tour will become available in the coming weeks.

SPONSORS (SO FAR … )

Currently, the growing list of event sponsors includes Sea Machines and ABB (platinum); Austal USA and Bergan Marine Systems (gold); Motor-Services Hugo Stamp Inc., Elkon, Karl Senner, Elliott Bay Design Group, MTU—A Rolls-Royce Solution, Schottel, Christie & Grey, Industrial Service Solutions, SSI, Marine Supply North America, and Moxie Media (silver); and TowWorks, JonRie, Panolin, MOPS, Phoenix, Tnemec, United Safety & Survivability Corporation, Conrad Shipyard, and Delgado Community College (bronze).

Register for TTB 2022 today. Early bird ends January 28.

For questions on sponsorships, please contact David Harkey at dharkey@sbpub.com.

Categories: Coastal, Inland, Inland and Coastal, Regulations Tags: , , , , , ,