Press Releases
NATIONAL WATERWAYS CONFERENCE
HOLDS 47TH ANNUAL MEETING
MOBILE, ALA. -- November 9, 2007 – Gary LaGrange, President and CEO of the Port
of New Orleans, was elected chairman of the National Waterways Conference at their
47th annual meeting, which was held in Mobile, Alabama, on Wednesday Nov. 7 through
Thursday Nov. 9. More than 175 attendees were treated to several highly informative
speakers who addressed topics related to the theme of this year’s meeting: “Waterways,
Meeting Tomorrow’s Freight Needs.” Welcoming remarks were presented by the
Honorable Sonny Callahan, former U. S. Congressman and chairman of the Energy and
Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
Members and guests heard from the Corps of Engineers on “The State of the
Corps and its Programs”. They also heard container experts’ projections for container
traffic through the Port of Mobile and the critically important role of the inland
waterways on our nation’s transportation system. Specifically, they heard how taking
traffic off of our nation’s waterways would more than double the number of trucks on our
highways. Other topics included “Transportation, The Lure That Landed the Big Tuna,”
which referred to the reasons why ThyssenKrupp Steel of Germany selected Alabama for
its new $4 billion manufacturing facility. That topic lead to a review of “Freight
Transportation, a State’s and Riverport’s Perspective.”
The entertainment portion of this year’s annual meeting occurred Thursday
evening when attendees were treated to a “Mardi Gras Celebration—Mobile Style,” at the
City’s Carnival Museum. Everyone enjoyed a sampling of a real Mardi Gras event.
Scott Robinson, Port Director, Port of Muskogee, Oklahoma, who completed his
second annual term as chairman of the National Waterways Conference, proclaimed this
year’s annual meeting a tremendous success. “What a wonderful way to turn the reins of
the NWC over to my successor, Gary LaGrange. I am proud of the ongoing commitment
of our members to strengthen the National Waterways Conference. I look forward to
joining Gary in New Orleans in November 2008 to participate in our 48th annual meeting.
Incoming Chairman LaGrange thanked Scott for his superb leadership. “We are
both committed to the Conference and to furthering its mission, which is “to effect
national water resources policies and programs, recognizing the public value of our
nation’s waterway system and its contribution to a competitive economy, environmental
quality and energy conservation”.
During the meeting, the membership was assured by the search committee that a
new president would be on board by March 1, 2008 to succeed the late Worth Hagar
Gatti. The Conference memorialized Worth by unanimously approving a special
resolution in her honor to be permanently recorded in the records of the National
Waterway Conference and for presentation to her family at the Conference’s annual
budget summit, which will be held in early March 2008 in Washington, DC.
Annual Meeting
Special Rate: Hotel accommodations for the National Waterways Conference, Inc. Annual Meeting, Waterways: Meeting Tomorrow's Freight Needs" Expires on Monday, October 15, 2007. Reserve your room today by calling the Riverview Plaza Hotel directly at (866) 749-6069. National Waterways Conference, Inc. - Annual Meeting, Waterways: "Meeting Tomorrow's Freight Needs" in Mobile, Alabama at the Riverview Plaza Hotel, November 7-9, 2007. Online registration is available at http://www.waterways.org/nwc_nwc-events.html.
Hotel accommodations are available at Riverview Plaza Hotel at $129 per night room rate. To make reservations contact the hotel directly at 1-866-749-6069, ask for the National Waterways Conference room block. Special Rate expires Monday, October 15, 2007! Special Note: The LPGA Tour is in town, hotel rooms are likely to be scarce and rates may be extremely expensive.
Time is running out... And this is a don't miss opportunity, providing a unique platform for education, discussion, and networking. The NWC, Inc. Annual Meeting offers waterways stakeholders the most up-to-date information on waterways issues. Presentations and panels discussions will be given by industry leaders throughout the 3 day event ! A detailed draft of the final agenda can be found at http://www.waterways.org/Agenda10-12-07.pdf.
Since 1960, National Waterways Conference, Inc. (NWC, Inc.) has worked to promote a better understanding of the public value the American waterways system offers and its important role in a sound economy, industrial and agricultural productivity, regional development, environmental quality, energy conservation, international trade, security, defense preparedness, and the overall national interest.