ASSOCIATION IN ACTION

A primary purpose of VMA, and benefit of membership in the association, is our work to make sure our port and member businesses are in the best position to meet the challenges and opportunities of today, as well as those on the horizon and beyond. During May, this included VMA’s advocacy and representation of member interests in the political arena, education and workforce, freight transportation, commercial vessel navigation, energy supply, and in other matters.

In 2023, all 140 seats in the Senate and House of the General Assembly are up for election. Redistricting and retirements will result in the election of new members and a loss of institutional knowledge at unprecedented levels. Throughout May, the VMA was busy attending meetings and selected events held across Virginia to continue strengthening our industry’s relationship with numerous legislators from both political parties. The VMA is committed to ensuring we are well positioned to work with those who will be elected to serve in 2024 and beyond.

Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) and Old Dominion University (ODU) are collaboratively working to establish a maritime-focused lab school. This high school would be a pipeline of potential employees to fill positions in the skilled maritime trades, or in maritime and supply chain fields requiring further education. VMA was invited to participate in the May 3 gathering in Richmond held by Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera of K-12, higher education, business and community groups to explore how to create and grow sustainable lab schools. VMA also participated in a May 25 planning meeting held at ODU.

VMA participated in a two-day planning workshop held in Blacksburg at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Virginia Tech is pursuing a National Science Foundation grant in support of a proposed “Dock-to-Door” regional innovation engine to drive advances in logistics, vehicle decarbonization, multimodal automation, and advanced decision-making to supercharge the

Club Contacts

Customs Brokers & Int’l Freight Forwarders Assn.

Ben Nelson • cbiffa.va@gmail.com

Hampton Roads Coal Association

Finn Host • treasurer@hrcoal.org hrcoal.org

Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council Kevin Speers • info@hrgcc.org hrgcc.org economy while creating value for industry partners regionally and beyond. With an eye on decisions affecting freight transportation policies and funding, VMA also participated in the May meetings of the Virginia Freight Advisory Committee (VFAC) in Richmond, and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) in Charlottesville.

VMA was pleased to facilitate a meeting held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to discuss the navigational considerations associated with new mooring dolphins being proposed at a site along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. VMA similarly facilitated a meeting held by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to discuss anchorage requirements of the port, as well as participating in the quarterly meeting of the Virginia Harbor Safety Committee.

Ship building and repair, transportation, manufacturing, and other maritime activities are energy intensive industries. A recent study conducted for the Hampton Roads Alliance considered the region’s energy requirements, traditional and alternative energy sources, and produced recommendations for developing an energy strategy with the goal of sustaining and growing regional economic development. VMA participated in the May meeting of the Hampton Roads Long-Term Energy Roadmap Implementation Steering Committee, which is considering implementation of the study’s recommendations. VMA also discussed offshore wind and energy transition in the maritime sector with former Delegate Glenn Davis, who was recently appointed the Director of the Virginia Department of Energy.

Propeller Club - Port of Norfolk

Noel Stokes • norfolkpropellerclub@gmail. com

PropellerClubNorfolk.org

Shenandoah Valley Traffic Club shenandoahtrafficclub@gmail.com shenandoahtrafficclub.com

Tidewater Motor Truck Association

Ray Jalkio • ray@servicetransfer.net tmtava.org

Virginia Ship Repair Association Sylvia Bell • 757-233-7034 VirginiaShipRepair.org

Virginia International Business Council robert.davenport@vdacs.virginia.gov vaibc.org