NMSA breaks attendance record for third consecutive year

The National Maritime Safety Association (NMSA) concluded its 2025 Annual Meeting this week in New Orleans, Louisiana, marking another successful gathering of safety professionals, labor leaders, and industry stakeholders committed to advancing occupational health and safety in the marine cargo handling industry. The event welcomed a record-breaking number of attendees for the third year in a row, highlighting the organization’s growing impact across the sector.

This year, NMSA was pleased to welcome United States Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to its annual meeting for updates from the Department of Labor as it continues its efforts to promote worker safety, strengthen labor standards, and support collaborative partnerships across the maritime industry.

“It was an honor to join the National Maritime Safety Association at their annual meeting in New Orleans and speak directly to safety professionals, labor leaders, and industry partners who are setting the standard for maritime workplace safety,” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “As Secretary of Labor, protecting American workers is my top priority, and that means investing in modern workforce development and upholding commonsense safety standards. NMSA continues to lead by example, and I’m grateful for their partnership in advancing a safer, stronger maritime industry.”

Outgoing NMSA President Dave Morgan of Cooper/Ports America opened the meeting and officially passed the gavel to newly appointed President Jason Winter, Director, Safety/Training, CFS & Labor Relations at the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The leadership transition was met with strong support from members, underscoring NMSA’s continued momentum and shared commitment to industry collaboration.

NMSA’s Executive Director Carl Bentzel made the following statement about the overall success of the meeting, “NSMA is unequivocally committed to advancing safety standards in the maritime industry, and we could not have been more honored to put this on full display as we welcomed Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to our annual meeting. Her participation reflects a commitment by the Administration to ensuring safety remains a top priority for those in the maritime industry, and we cannot thank her enough for making the time to join us in New Orleans.”

This year’s program featured a tour of the Port of New Orleans and a dynamic slate of expert-led sessions, including:

• Updates from the U.S. Department of Labor – Lori Chavez DeRemer, Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
• Designing and Implementing Effective Workforce Safety Training – Al Weeks, Director of Safety/Training, CFS & Labor Relations South Atlantic & Gulf Coast, USMX
• Behavioral Health Components: How Positive Mental and Physical Health Directly Contribute to a Safe Workforce – Tona Trondsen, President, Workplace Safety Screenings
• Ensuring the Safe Use of Equipment – Christopher Allen, Director Health, Safety, Security, Environment, APM Terminals; Matt Hillyer, Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering, Taylor Machine Works, Inc.
• Developing Leadership at All Levels to Promote a Safety Culture – Christopher Hammond, Secretary-Treasurer, ILA Local 3000; Blaine Ehrlich, President, M&R ILA Local 2036; Robert Henkel, Regional Vice President Cruise, SSA Marine
• Fire Response in the Marine Environment– Amy Dawson, Emergency Management Director, Port of New Orleans; Danny Simon, Captain, Special Operations Coordinator, New Orleans Fire Department; Erick H. Saia, Director Safety & Loss Control, Greenwich Terminals LLC (GRT)
• Update from OSHA – Alexander G. Novas, Compliance Assistance Specialist, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA
• Update on Relevant Legislative and Regulatory Issues – Stephen Peranich, Principal, Blank Rome Government Relations LLC
• Effective Emergency Management – Madison Bundy, Labor Relations Representative, PMA; Jenifer Bledsoe, HSE Manager Shared Services, SSA Marine; Curtis Shaw, Associate Coast Director, Accident Prevention & Training Strategy, PMA
• Best Practices to Prevent Common Injuries – Dr. Sharifa Batts, Ports America; Ryan Blair, Regional HSE Director - Atlantic, SSA Marine; Richard Lubert, SVP, Safety and Members Performance, Signal Mutual

In recognition of excellence across the maritime safety field, NMSA presented its two signature awards during its Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday night:

• NMSA Person of the Year Award: Stephanie Bishop, Vice President of Safety, SSA Marine– Recognized for outstanding leadership in promoting safety awareness and fostering cooperative efforts between labor and management to improve occupational health and safety across the industry.
• NMSA Safety Innovation Award: Jason Meneley, President, Core Process Technologies– Honored for a recent and impactful contribution that advanced safety in marine cargo handling operations through innovation and measurable results.

NMSA also convened its Board of Directors and its standing Technical Committee, a focused group of safety professionals responsible for tracking regulatory developments and sharing key information to improve safety practices throughout the industry.

Planning is already underway for NMSA’s 2026 Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, California in June of next year.