40 Under 40 Awards: Steely, VanMeter, Villareal, Wagner

For the seventh year, 40 of the industry’s future leaders were honored at the Inland Marine Expo with the “40 Under 40” award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the inland marine transportation industry in a variety of fields. All 40 honorees were nominated by executives and peers for their hard work and dedication to the industry.

Over the course of 10 weeks, The Waterways Journal is featuring recipients of this year’s 40 Under 40 award. This week we recognize Phillip Steely, Josh VanMeter, Ryan Villareal and Taylore Wagner.

Phillip Steely

Phillip Steely, 36, is a captain at Southern Devall in Memphis, Tenn.

He started at the company in 2006 as a deckhand, then moved up to tankerman/barge line mate in 2008.

He got his steersman license in 2010, began training in 2011 and became a pilot, mentor and leader on the mv. Arne Christensen in 2013, port captain Michael Ditto said.

In 2016, he was promoted to relief captain, and in 2017 he became high captain, also on the Arne Christensen.

Ditto said Steely has high standards and expectations that have been passed down to his entire crew.

Many of his crew have moved on to be steersmen, pilots and other leaders.

“P.J. has given everything he has to Southern Devall from the start and still continues to do so as he does new hire orientations to help mentor and lead new upcoming talent to this industry,” Ditto said.

Port captain Sean Tittle met Steely 15 years ago when they were both mates.

“He impressed me then with his incredible work ethic and unwavering commitment to doing the task at hand,” he said. “P.J. has since become one of the most respected captains at Southern Devall. As captain, P.J. has mentored many young men and women in the industry. He takes a hands-on approach in his leadership and can be found working alongside his crew, no matter the task, any chance he gets.”
Steely also serves on the company’s captains advisory board, and his vessel is a designated training vessel.

“Every crew member that has worked or is currently working on his vessel can be counted on to display a skilled work ethic and dedication to their craft,” Tittle said. “Captain P.J. has honored and continues to honor the maritime industry with his contributions.” 

Josh VanMeter

Josh VanMeter, 39, is barge repair coordinator at Waterfront Services Company, in Cairo, Ill.

He began his career on the river in 2002 as a welder at American Commercial Barge Line, moving to the Waterfront Services team as a welder in 2005.

“He has a strong drive to succeed and moved up the ranks, becoming a dry dock supervisor in 2009,” shipyard manager Jerrod George said. “Josh was a great leader, and his crews excelled no matter what department or job type he worked. He served in this role for the next 10 years, where he perfected his craft.”

In 2019, VanMeter was named the company’s barge repair coordinator. In that position he works closely with both the shipyard manager, barge surveyors and the company’s customers, ensuring that all work is completed to a high standard and in a timely manner, George said. His duties include crew assignments and management, job scheduling and bidding and assisting the shipyard manager.

In 2021, VanMeter was accredited by TVIB to be one of the company’s internal surveyors.

Outside of work, VanMeter served as a Century Junior High School softball coach from 2013 to 2016 and again in 2019 and 2020. He continues to coach softball and is currently a coach for the Louisville Lady Sluggers Huecker/Norwood 16U fastpitch softball team, a role he has held for the past six years.

“We are lucky to have Josh as part of Waterfront Services Company and can’t wait to see what the future holds,” George said.

Ryan Villareal

Ryan Villareal, 33, is a project manager at Kirby Corporation in Houston.

Villareal grew up as the only son of a naval commander (retired) and went on to become an alumnus of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

After school, he earned his third-mate unlimited license and then master of towing license. He began work at Kirby as a pilot, quickly moving up the ranks on the vessels before being promoted to the youngest port captain in company history, said Taylor Dickerson, vice president, Project Management Office, and ESG leader for Kirby Corporation.

“While managing a fleet of 12 towboats, he soon found his knack for projects and began taking on additional responsibilities by implementing new processes, systems and efficiencies for the impending Subchapter M changes. As well, he reworked the extensive operational procedure manuals to improve safety and performance of the fleet,” Dickerson said.

Ben Parrish, another of the company’s project managers, first met Villareal when he moved to his shoreside role as a port captain. He said Villareal “quickly became known for his passion for absolute excellence in his work and his driving desire to continuously improve and bring value in how Kirby carried out its work.”

In 2018, Villareal joined Dickerson (an IMX 40 Under 40 alum) to establish a Project Management Office focusing on enterprise-level, strategic projects to drive process improvements across the organization through the implementation of various systems and initiatives. Dickerson said Villareal has been integral to the success the Project Management Office has achieved to date, including the completion of more than 100 projects ranging from technology to environmental to acquisition implementations and more.

Villareal is also involved in the Texas Waterway Operators Association, American Waterways Operators and various safety committees throughout the industry. Villareal also received his Master of Business Administration degree in May from the University of Houston. Outside of work he serves his community as a lacrosse coach for middle and high school students in the Houston area.

“Ryan is a stellar representation of the marine industry and what it means to be a true leader,” Dickerson said.

Taylore Wagner

Taylore Wagner, 32, is a human resource generalist at Marquette Transportation Company, in La Porte, Texas.

As human resource generalist for the company’s river division, she is Marquette’s only HR representative based in the Houston area. Her duties include recruiting mariners to apply for positions and then walking them through the application and hiring processes, including onboarding paperwork. She also manages the company’s social media accounts and represents Marquette at career fairs and community events. Additionally, Wagner handles compensation programs for shore-based employees and manages the performance management process.

Amy Arrowood, director of San Jacinto College’s maritime credit program, has known and worked with Wagner since she started in her role in March 2016. She said Wagner made an immediate impression on her as a strong industry advocate.

“In her role, I work closely with her with placing our students in summer internships to begin their career on the water,” Arrowood said. “Taylore participates in our maritime industry advisory committee and participates in the Maritime Youth Expo, career fairs and mock interviews. She is someone that I count on to run ideas by or ask opinions or get feedback on new ideas. She is a very positive person with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Her assistance with our programs makes our programs and the maritime industry stronger.”

Wagner also participates in the Houston chapter of Women in Maritime Operations (WIMOs).

“Taylore Wagner goes above and beyond in her main job duties, is a wonderful advocate for the maritime industry and deserves to be recognized for her dedication and initiative,” Arrowood said.