MVTTC To Hold 40th Anniversary Conference
After a hiatus in 2021 due to COVID-19, the Mississippi Valley Trade & Transport Council (MVTTC) is set to hold its annual conference again in 2022, this time marking the organization’s 40th anniversary. The conference will be held February 23-24 in New Orleans.
The conference will open with remarks from MVTTC chairman David Ryan, vice president of sales for Associated Terminals, followed by a keynote address from Billy Nungesser, Louisiana’s lieutenant governor. Next, Sean Duffy, executive director of the Big River Coalition, will moderate a panel that will focus on operations, industry and infrastructure along the Mississippi River. Panelists will include Capt. Will Watson, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans; Eddie Belk with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition; and Liz Craddock, special counsel at Jones Walker.
Attention will then turn to trade, workforce training and commodity transport, with presentations from Chuck Arnold, chief commercial officer for Ingram Marine Group; Rick Schwab, senior director of Delgado Community College’s Maritime and Industrial Training Center; and a trade-focused panel discussion moderated by Ken Eriksen, senior vice president of IHS Markit.
Afternoon sessions will feature representatives from T. Parker Host, which owns and operates Avondale Marine at the site of the former Avondale Shipyard, followed by an “ancillary services round table” focused on coal. For the fifth time, the MVTTC’s conference will be held in conjunction with The Coal Institute.
“Coming off of a year plus of minimal networking, and working off and on from home, now is perfect timing for attending what will be the 40th anniversary of the MVTTC conference,” said MVTTC Executive Director Lisa McGoey. “It’s a critical time for reconnecting and networking within the industry. There’s lots to talk about, from supercycle commodity markets, to skyrocketing fuel and freight, to massive infrastructure spending bills. You do not want to miss out on this.”
The conference will be held at The Westin New Orleans Hotel, located near where Canal Street meets the Mississippi River. The conference will also include a golf tournament at City Park’s Bayou Oaks course and a welcome reception in the hotel’s Riverbend Ballroom on February 23, a Mardi Gras-themed dinner and cocktail party February 24 at Red Fish Grill, and a parade party February 26 on St. Charles Avenue, along the Mardi Gras parade route.
Registration is open to members and non-members alike. Details are available at www.mvttc.com.
