Ingram Barge’s Maria Conatser is new Propeller Club international president

Maria Conaster is the first female to lead the International Propeller Club

The International Propeller Club elected and installed its leaders for the next two years at its recent 97th annual convention in Charleston, S.C. Representatives of the club’s 77 chapters from around the world elected Maria Conatser as lnternational president making her the first woman to be elected to lead the International Propeller Club in its almost 100-year history.

Conatser, who has served in financial, analytical, and business intelligence roles at the Ingram Barge Company of Nashville, Tenn., is a member of the Propeller Club’s Port of Nashville chapter.

“This is a huge honor being elected to this position representing more than 5,000 members from our global network of clubs,” Conatser said. “We are ambitious and aim to substantially increase that membership by at least another 1,000 and ramp up the number of clubs to more than 100 clubs for our 100th anniversary in 2027. The Propeller Club recognizes there has never been a more important time in its history to galvanize support for the maritime industry from businesses, the public, and the government. Maritime transport carries over 90% of global merchandise trade, totaling some 11 billion tons of cargo per year, but we are too often out of sight and mind. To tackle this, we need to raise awareness of the industry and attract the best minds to help us innovate, embrace digitization, and squarely face environmental challenges. I further want to champion the maritime industry as an exciting career for young men and women across many disciplines from engineering and logistics to professional services and leadership roles.”

Costis Frangoulis, president of the International Propeller Club’s Piraeus, Greece chapter was elected as first vice president. He is the founder, president, and CEO of the Franman Group which for over 30 years has provided a wide range of equipment, products, and services to the international shipping industry. Dorothea Ioannou of the New York and Piraeus chapters, who is CEO of the American P&I Club, was elected as the international second vice president. Her portfolio includes engaging with and growing the number of international Propeller Club chapters.

Jeremy Smith of Kaiser University in Jacksonville, Fla. was elected vice president for student ports, in which role he will provide leadership for the club’s program of outreach to future industry professionals attending maritime academies and other transportation-related programs worldwide. Stuart Smith of Houston, Texas, and Pat Patrick of New Orleans were elected to two-year terms as international treasurer and secretary, respectively.