Welcome to WISTA USA!May 2011
Dear WISTA USA Members and guests:
As the presiding President of WISTA USA, I'd like to welcome you to our website.
WISTA USA's membership includes over 240 maritime professionals from 20 states, representing all facets of the maritime industry - including (to name a few) shipowners, operators, brokers, bankers, insurance professionals, attorneys, analysts, and government officials. WISTA USA is the largest of any National WISTA Association (NWA), and is a prominent link in the network of over 1,300 women who participate in WISTA through NWAs in 29 countries the world over. In the US, members are active through eight geographically organized chapters: (1) New York / New Jersey; (2) Connecticut; (3) Washington, DC Metro; (4) Florida; (5) New Orleans; (6) Houston; (7) West Coast (California and Hawai'i); and (8) the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and Alaska). More information on our chapters is available here. These chapters have done a marvelous job of organizing regional events, often in conjunction with industry conferences. These events are captured in my quarterly e-Updates, which are disseminated to the membership and posted on our News page. You can also see what events might be coming up by checking our Calendar. We encourage you to get involved in your regional chapter - and if none exists in your area, to contact us about starting a chapter of your own!
Our newest chapter, in the Pacific Northwest region, is a spin-off from the West Coast chapter, which was launched in 2008. Clearly, women see the benefits of networking and learning from one another in the WISTA setting, and that is why our membership has been growing so rapidly. Although generally targeted to local members, the various chapter events are most certainly open to WISTA members fom other areas of the U.S. and beyond. Before you set out on your next business trip, I encourage you to check back on this site to find out if there is a WISTA event being held in the city you will be visiting. Just look under the News heading or check the Calendar. You can also just reach out to fellow WISTA members in whatever country or city you're visiting by searching the international membership roster (access to which is restricted to members only).
In addition to the events organized by our regional chapters, WISTA USA as a whole hosts several events of its own throughout the year. In March 2011, WISTA USA once again kicked off the Connecticut Maritime Association's Shipping 2011 Conference with a sold-out luncheon featuring world-renowned hostage negotiator and piracy expert Sue Williams QPM. Sue engaged the 200+ crowd with real-life examples and her thoughts on mitigating risk and increasing public awareness of the piracy problem. WISTA USA sponsored this event to support the International Maritime Organization's theme for this year's World Maritime Day - Piracy: Orchestrating the Response - and was thanked in a letter from IMO Secretary-General Mitropoulos. Read more about the event here.
In April, we had a terrific Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Washington, DC, with a record-setting 72 members in attendance! As most of you know, the AGM is hosted by a different chapter each year. Regarless of the location, the AGM is a wonderful opportunity to network with other WISTA USA members and to hear about developments around the country.
This year's AGM highlights included a private tour of the U.S. Capitol Building; a congressional reception during which WISTA USA presented Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) with an award for her efforts in the marine industry; a keynote address by Coast Guard Read Admiral Fred Kenney; and presentations by Stacey Mitchell, Chief, Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Department of Justice; Jeff Lantz, the Coast Guard Director of Commerical Regulations and Standards (and U.S. candidate for Secretary-General of the IMO); and Rob Whitney of ABS. We also heard about the impact of the 112th Congress on the maritime industry from experts like Dabney Hegg, Professional Staff Member, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations; Jean Godwin of the American Association of Port Authorities; and Kathy Metcalf of the Chamber of Shipping of America. The meetings were capped off by a beautiful evening dinner cruise on the Potomac. The AGM Materials, speaker presentations, and a few photos are available here. Plans are already underway for the 2012 AGM, which will be hosted by the Houston chapter.
Maria Nygren, President of WISTA Sweden, traveled by far the farthest to attend our AGM. Maria gave an entertaining presentation on this year's International Conference, which will take place in Stockholm from September 14-16 and promises to be a wonderful event. Last year, WISTA USA boasted a 24-member delegation to the International Conference in Athens, and we hope to have a similar group in Stockholm this fall. Registration for the 2011 event is now open at www.wistaconference.org - don't miss out on the early-bird registration discount, which ends on July 1st. We hope to see you there!
Finally, if you are not yet a member, it's time to become one! To join, please fill out our online application form by clicking here. Just follow the instructions and you'll be on your way. Our 2011 membership dues are $100. If you have questions about membership generally or the application process in particular, please contact Parker Harrison, our Membership Secretary, at parker.harrison@american-club.com.
Jeanne M. Grasso
President, WISTA USA
Jeanne is a partner at Blank Rome LLP in Washington, DC. She can be reached at Grasso@BlankRome.com or by phone at (202) 772-5927.
|
