Celebrate excellence and advance industry standards at NAMEPA’s 2025 Safety at Sea Seminar and AMVER Awards. This distinguished event, part of National Maritime Week, brings together maritime professionals dedicated to fostering safety and sustainability in our industry. Engage in enlightening discussions on pivotal topics such as digitalization, cybersecurity, decarbonization, mariner welfare, and the seafarer shortage. Then, conclude the day with the prestigious AMVER Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding contributions to maritime safety and environmental stewardship.
The past year has seen an acceleration of events that could compromise maritime operations, and therefore global trade. From geopolitical aggression and mechanical failures to cyber intrusions; from climate mitigation to mariner well-being, safety has to be at the forefront of our ecosystem. Join us as we reflect and examine the many facets of Safety at Sea!
Date: May 22, 2025
Location: ABS Office, 80 M Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
Developing Agenda:
- Maritime Security Today – RAMD Jim Waston, USCG (ret.) and Co-Author of ZERO POINT FOUR – How US Leadership in Maritime will Secure America’s Future
- Cyber Risk – Cynthia Hudson, Shoreline Hudson
- Challenges in Adopting Alternative Fuels – Allan Krogsgaard, Business Development Director, DNV
- When Prevention Isn’t Enough – Mike Gallagher, Senior Managing Director, Witt O’Brien’s
1500: Coffee/Tea Break
- The State of Our Mariners Today – Deacon Paul Rosenblum, Apostleship of the Sea Port Minister, President of NAMMA, and NAMEPA Board Member
- Moving Beyond Mental Health: A Smarter Approach to Human Risk in Maritime Operations – Maria Kolitsida, Founder, SignalFusion
- Adding to Our Ranks – NAMEPA’s Initiative for Workforce Development – NAMEPA
1600: AMVER Awards
1700 Closing Remarks – Joe Hughes, Chairman of the Mangers of the American Club and Chairman of NAMEPA
Speakers
Allan Krogsgaard – Int. Regional Business Development Director Americas, Senior Principal Surveyor and Naval Architect, DNV Maritime. Allan Krogsgaard has over 30 years of immense international experience in the maritime industry. He is currently leading the DNV Americas Business Development team with focus on business growth and new initiatives. Adaptable, resourceful and result oriented with a strong technical understanding he works with DNV’s experts to enhance DNV’s impact and presence in the Americas and grows partnership with key maritime clients and Flag States including USCG. He is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer graduate of the Danish Technical University in Copenhagen with valuable experience from employment at AP Moller and Maersk Ship Design in Denmark and Taiwan as well as Herbert Engineering Corp. in California.
Mr. Krogsgaard currently has 19 years of tenure with DNV in New York including positions as Senior Principal Surveyor, Station Manager and Business Development Director. He has recently served as the President and executive board member of the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce and is currently also on the executive board of the Danish American Chamber of Commerce in New York.
Carleen Lyden Walker – Is the Co-Founder and CEO of NAMEPA (North American Marine Environment Protection Association) leveraging off her experience as a marketing and communications professional in the commercial maritime industry with over 40 years of experience.
She specializes in identifying, developing and implementing strategic marketing and communications programs that increase the visibility and effectiveness of NAMEPA as well as the development of educational resources promoting marine environment protection. She works to develop strategic alliances between industry, regulators, conservation groups and educators to “Save Our Seas”. In 2015, Ms. Lyden Walker was appointed an Ambassador by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). She is a member of WISTA (Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association), the Connecticut Maritime Association, the Marine Society of the City of New York, The National Press Club, WIMAC (Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean) and is a Past-President of the Propeller Club Chapter of the Port of NY/NJ. She was also elected to the Board of Trustees of the Coast Guard Foundation, the Tall Ships America Foundation, New York Harbor Foundation and the New Era Academy Transportation Technologies Program in Baltimore. She was recently named one of the top 100 women in shipping globally.
Ms. Lyden Walker is also Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Marketing & Communications, is Chief Evolution Officer of SHIPPINGInsight, Founder of CARIBMEPA and the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the Consortium for International Maritime Heritage. In 2010, she was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the United States Coast Guard and in 2014 a Public Service Commendation for her work on World Maritime Day and AMVER, respectively. Ms. Lyden Walker graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in Political Science and History (minor in Economics), studied Accounting at Cornell School of Business Administration and is a trained facilitator and media trainer. She held a USCG Captain’s license.
Cynthia Hudson – Is CEO and founder of HudsonAnalytix, Inc., a global maritime risk consultancy serving the maritime transportation sector, headquartered in the Philadelphia, US, and internationally from London to Piraeus. In 1986, Ms. Hudson founded what became HudsonAnalytix to provide emergency response, maritime project management and maritime consulting services to maritime transportation interests; oil and energy, vessel owners/operators and insurers for more than 100 oil and hazardous material response incidents.
Ms. Hudson led the firm into maritime security for ports and vessels providing port vulnerability security assessment work at hundreds of ports and facilities worldwide and in 2016 expanded the HudsonAnalytix cyber security initiative to design and deliver cybersecurity and cyber risk management solutions to maritime clients and provide cybersecurity expertise to governmental agencies.
Well-known and highly regarded throughout the maritime transportation industry for her work and contributions in her field, Ms. Hudson was honored by the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Ports with the 2016 Maritime Award of the Americas: Outstanding Women in the Maritime and Port. Ms. Hudson serves on a number of Industry Boards, such as, the American Caribbean Maritime Association and the Maritime Academy High School in Philadelphia, along with the Executive Advisory Board of SUNY Maritime College. She is the founder and former President of WISTA Delaware River & Bay Chapter and a Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA). Ms. Hudson has been a speaker and serves on panels at conferences all over the world, most recently at the Hemispheric Seminar on Port Legislation in Roatan, Honduras, the Safety4Sea Conference in Athens and Hamburg, the OAS-CIP conference in Panama on the subjects of Maritime Cyber Security and other Critical Maritime Risk Management issues. Also, Shipping2030 in Copenhagen on Cyber Security & Risk Management and NATO in Helles, Greece. Ms. Hudson is a member of the Union League of Philadelphia and the Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia.
David Walker – Is a Vice President, Global Government Services at ABS. He is responsible for helping ABS fulfill its not-for-profit mission to serve the public interest as well as the needs of our members and clients by promoting the security of life and property, and preserving the natural environment.
ABS Global Government Services focuses on the needs of government clients with military or other public fleets as well as research, development, and demonstration programs that ABS undertakes with government agencies on a wide range of maritime innovation topics, including clean energy in the maritime domain and decarbonization of maritime operations. Additionally, David is the ABS lead for the US Center for Maritime Innovation for the US Maritime Administration, which is a new national research center for a wide range of maritime research, development, and demonstration programs including energy transition and decarbonization topics.
Jan-Willem van den Dijssel – An accomplished business leader with over 25 years’ experience in the grain trading and maritime industry. In his current role, Jan-Willem is responsible for Cargill’s Ocean Transportation’s business development across the Americas. He studied Finance and Accounting at Glasgow University and graduated with an MSc in Business degree from Groningen University in the Netherlands.
Jan-Willem joined Cargill in 1996 as a grain trader in Chile. He successfully held grain trading roles in Cargill’s headquarters in Minneapolis and in Miami. In 2004, Jan-Willem moved to the Panamax desk of Cargill Ocean Transportation in Geneva, Switzerland before he became manager of the Americas Handy trading desk.
In 2011, Jan-Willem joined the New Jersey office as Americas Commercial Manager and was promoted to Americas Lead in 2014. He moved the Ocean Transportation team to Miami in 2021.
Jan-Willem was named as Cargill’s board representative of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association in 2018 and is currently its vice-chairman. He joined the Executive Advisory Board at SUNY Maritime College and The Seamen’s Church Institute Board of Trustees in 2024. He has arranged Cargill’s lead sponsorship for 7 SCI Mountain Challenge events in support of mariners.
Joan Bondareff – Focuses her practice on marine transportation, environmental, regulatory, renewable energy, and legislative issues. Joan represents clients in many industries and state and local governments in matters related to: Maritime regulations and public policy, Environmental law, Government relations, Renewable energy, Federal grants,Maritime security for shipyards and ports
Before joining Blank Rome, Joan was chief counsel and acting deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. She was also former majority counsel for the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Joan served on the Obama Transition Team for the Department of Transportation handling maritime related issues. She worked on the OPA 90 legislation, and also helped develop the Natural Resource Damage Assessment regulations and the Coastal Zone Management Program when she was the assistant general counsel for Ocean Services at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Joe Hughes – Has served as chairman of the managers of The American Club, an International Group mutual, for nearly twenty-nine years. Joe also oversees the activities of Eagle Ocean Agencies, Inc., an affiliate of SCB, which operates the Eagle Ocean Marine and Eagle Ocean America insurance facilities. In addition, he is a director both the American Club itself and its European subsidiary based in Cyprus. In addition to his chairmanship of NAMEPA, Joe is president of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, a director of NYMAR and also sits on committees of the American Bureau of Shipping and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping.
RADM James Watson, USCG (ret.) – James Watson is currently an independent consultant providing business development services to maritime clients. He held the position of Senior VP of the American Bureau of Shipping Global Government Services, where he was responsible for the ABS’s government market sector. Prior to this, Watson was President and COO for the ABS’ Americas Division where he was responsible for all operations of the ABS in the Western Hemisphere. Before ABS, Watson served as Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the US Department of Interior. In this role he provided regulatory oversight for energy exploration and production on the US Outer Continental Shelf. Watson also served as the US Coast Guard’s Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, where his responsibilities included commercial vessel safety and security, ports and cargo safety and security and maritime investigations. He was designated as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the government-wide response to the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico. Watson earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Engineering from USCGA in 1978. He received his Master of Science in Naval Architecture and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1985. Watson earned an additional Master of Science in Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in 2001.
Maria Kolitsida – Specializing in AI, behavioral analytics, and risk assessment, with a strong background in innovation policy across Europe, Canada, and the US. With experience in both corporate innovation and startups, Maria has led AI-driven solutions for crisis services, digital healthcare, and human risk assessment in high-pressure industries such as maritime, defense, and healthcare.
Bridging policy, technology, and commercialization, she has worked with authorities and global organizations to develop data-driven risk management solutions. Her expertise lies in scaling AI innovations, integrating behavioral data with operational metrics, and enhancing decision intelligence for high-stakes environments worldwide.
Michael Gallagher – With over 35 years of experience, Mr. Gallagher is a marine /Qualified Individual(QI)/Incident Management (IMT) professional providing a range of compliance and response management services to over 50% of the vessels trading to the US for over 850 vessel operating companies. His response management work predates OPA-90 and includes the 1989 M/T Exxon Valdez (as part of the International Tankers Oil Pollution Fund team) and 1990 M/T B.T. Nautilus oil spill in New York/New Jersey (on behalf of the P&I Club). More recently, he responded to and oversaw the 2022 M/V Ever Forward grounding and the 2024 M/V Dali and Key Bridge Response on behalf of clients.
Earlier in his career, he served as Managing Director/CEO of Gallagher Marine Systems, a QI/IMT services company, until its eventual sale.
Mr. Gallagher holds a Master of Science in Technology Management/Homeland Security and a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, from the University of Maryland. He also has completed a certificate course in QI/Crisis Management and Incident Command from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Deacon Paul Rosenblum – Deacon Paul Rosenblum received his BA (Beloit College), MA (Anna Maria College), and PhD (Boston University) degrees in Biology and taught Biology at the university level for 29 years, retiring from full time teaching in 2017. He has been involved in seafarers’ ministry for 20 years, beginning as a volunteer with the Charleston Port and Seafarers’ Society. Ordained as a permanent deacon for the Catholic Diocese of Charleston in 2014, he was appointed as the Stella Maris Ministry Port Chaplain in 2015. Deacon Paul has served as the Stella Maris Ministry Regional Coordinator for North America and the Caribbean since 2018 and was elected as the President of the North American Maritime Ministry Association in 2020.
Captain Robert Compher – Captain Compher assumed duties as Director of Inspections and Compliance at Coast Guard Headquarters in April 2025. In this position, he develops and maintains policy, standards, and program alignment for all prevention activities associated with the safe operation of vessels and facilities. The CG-5PC Directorate manages policy development and program oversight for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, recreational boating safety, foreign and domestic commercial vessel compliance, international and domestic ports and facilities safety and security, vessel documentation, and marine casualty investigations.
Captain Compher previously served as the Coast Guard’s Chief Traveler, where he led a specialized staff of senior marine inspectors in providing professional commercial vessel knowledge, experience, and training to field commanders and commercial vessel inspectors to ensure safe, consistent application of requirements and to expand technical expertise throughout the Prevention program. Captain Compher’s previous staff assignments include Marine Safety Center Commanding Officer and Chief of the Office of Design and Engineering Standards (CG-ENG). He also served under U.S. Northern Command where he led contingency planning and exercises for Department of Defense Joint and Interagency Arctic, Homeland Defense, Support to Civil Authorities, and Theater Security Cooperation missions.
ABS: ABS, a leading global provider of classification and technical advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, is committed to setting standards for safety and excellence in design, construction and operation. Focused on the safe and practical application of advanced technologies and digital solutions, ABS works with industry and clients to provide solutions that drive sustainability, optimize performance and increase operational efficiency for marine and offshore assets.
From its world headquarters in Houston, ABS delivers survey, engineering and advisory services and solutions to clients through a network of local representatives.
Alaska Chadux Network: The Alaska Chadux̂ Network is a nonprofit organization established to provide comprehensive regulatory compliance with federal and Alaska state oil spill prevention and response requirements while advancing innovative solutions to the unique challenges of operating in Alaska and the US Arctic region.
American Club: The American Club’s mission is to provide its Members with a broad and financially secure range of P&I and related insurance services which most effectively meet the imperatives of their day-to-day business and which are delivered in an attentive, efficient, courteous and focused manner.
Blank Rome: Blank Rome Maritime is one of the largest maritime practice groups in the United States and is supported by an even broader Transportation Industry Group that brings considerable depth and experience to the myriad litigation, regulatory and transactional issues facing the maritime industry. With more than 750 attorneys serving clients across the globe, Blank Rome represents businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities around the globe. Blank Rome helps its clients in all aspects of their businesses. The Firm’s practices cover areas including business tax; commercial and corporate litigation; employment benefits and labor; financial services; bankruptcy and financial restructuring; government relations; health law; intellectual property; maritime; international trade; government contracts; matrimonial; privately held and emerging companies; product liability; public companies and capital formation; public finance; real estate; trusts and estates; and white collar, internal and government investigations. Blank Rome also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters. For more information, go to www.blankrome.com.
Cargill: Cargill Ocean Transportation is committed to moving dry and wet cargo around the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we offer more than exceptional freight-shipping services. We move cargo, bring perspective, partner for progress and lead change.
CLIA:Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. CLIA supports policies and practices that foster safe, healthy, and sustainable cruise operations; tourism strategies that maximize the socio-economic benefits of cruise travel; and technologies and innovations that protect and preserve our planet.
Chevron: Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy is essential to enabling human progress. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and additives; and develops technologies that enhance our business and the industry. We aim to grow our traditional oil and gas business, lower the carbon intensity of our operations and grow new lower carbon businesses in renewable fuels, hydrogen, carbon capture, offsets and other emerging technologies. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
DNV: DNV is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. The company enhances safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures. DNV invests heavily in research and development to find solutions, together with the industry, that address strategic, operational or regulatory challenges.
Visit us at www.dnv.com for more information.
https://www.dnv.com/maritime/publications/energy-efficiency-report-download/
Dorian LPG: Dorian LPG Dorian LPG is a leading owner and operator of modern Very Large Gas Carriers (“VLGCs”) that transport liquefied petroleum gas globally. Our current fleet of twenty-five VLGCs includes twenty ECO VLGCs, four dual-fuel ECO VLGCs, and one modern VLGC. Dorian LPG has offices in Stamford, Connecticut, USA; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Athens, Greece. http://dorianlpg.com/
International Seaways: Every day, International Seaways’ mission is to exceed its customers’ expectations. We know that every stakeholder is a customer. We do this by understanding our customers’ needs, and by understanding our own business and challenging ourselves to constantly seek improvement. We transport energy safely and efficiently though diligent and environmentally compliant operations of well-maintained assets by well trained and dedicated crews. Learn more at International Seaways, Inc. – Investor Relations
MOL Chemical Carriers:MOL Chemical Tankers is a global leader in the transportation of bulk liquid chemicals, committed to delivering safe, reliable, and customer-centric shipping solutions. Following the acquisition of Fairfield Chemical Carriers in March 2024, MOL Chemical Tankers’ total fleet expanded to 117 chemical carriers, making it one of the largest stainless steel chemical tanker operators in the world.
Headquartered in Singapore, the company operates a strategically positioned network of regional offices in Dubai, London, Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Houston, Wilton, Bogotá, Tokyo, Busan, Shanghai, and Durban. This global presence ensures seamless service and localized support across all major trade lanes.
MOL Chemical Tankers is built on the MOL Group’s legacy of maritime excellence and is deeply committed to the highest standards of safety, environmental responsibility, and professional integrity. We foster long-term partnerships by delivering tailored solutions through innovation, transparency, and operational excellence.
For more information, visit www.molchemtankers.com.
Morgan Marketing and Communications: Morgan Marketing & Communications LLC is a client-based, retained marketing and communications agency committed to providing its clients with the highest quality professional marketing and communications services available. Our mission is to partner with our clients to meet their needs and exceed their goals.
Navios: Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (“Navios Partners”, NYSE: NMM), is a leading US publicly listed marine transportation company that owns and operates dry bulk, container and tanker vessels. Navios Partners has a modern fleet of 174 vessels, across three segments with 16 different types of vessels and an average age of 9.9 years.
Navios Partners is committed to being a leader in sustainability and is continuously working towards this commitment by striving to measure and reduce emissions and waste, aiming to achieve ‘Zero Incidents’, and always focusing on operating ethically, compliantly and transparently. For more information, please visit our website at www.navios-mlp.com.
OPA 90 Forum : The OPA 90 Forum was founded to serve as a community of those parties interested in the protection of U.S. waters from pollution by oil and hazardous substances from waterborne or land-based sources. The Mission is to provide a forum for those concerned with OPA 90 preparedness, prevention and response, with the goal of reducing the number and severity of incidents and increasing the effectiveness of response. The OPA 90 Forum is a non-profit organization incorporated in Delaware in 2021. It is recognized by the IRS as a 501c6, and is accepted by the U.S. Federal Government under the System for Award Management.
Pasha: Established in 1947, The Pasha Group is a family-owned, third-generation diversified global logistics and transportation company that provides ocean transportation for containers and rolling stock between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii; port processing services for finished and privately owned vehicles; stevedoring for vehicles, breakbulk and container cargos; auto hauling services with its truck fleet throughout the contiguous U.S.; domestic and international relocation services; and international logistics management for general commodity and project cargoes.
Port Everglades: As one of Florida’s leading economic generators, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Consistently ranked among the top three busiest cruise homeports in the world, Port Everglades is also one of the nation’s leading container ports and South Florida’s main seaport for receiving energy products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels.
Sealift Inc.:
Sealift Inc. is an owner and operator of a fleet of U.S. flag vessels that are engaged in worldwide operation for both the U.S. Navy and the commercial sector. The company commenced operations in 1975 and maintains a strong presence in the U.S. Navy’s MSC fleet. Sealift’s assets are its people and their experience. They are committed to delivering the highest level of quality as is indicated by the continued satisfaction of their customers.
For more information, go to www.sealiftinc.com
Scorpio: The Scorpio Group is a global leader in marine transportation services, with principal offices in Monaco and Greenwich, CT. Scorpio Tankers Inc., an affiliate of the Scorpio Group, stands as one of the world’s largest product tanker operators. Supporting these operations, Scorpio Services Holding Limited provides essential administrative services related to vessel ownership and operation, not only to Scorpio Group companies but also to unaffiliated third parties.
For more information, go to www.scorpiogroup.net
Signal Fusion: Signal Fusion is a behavioral AI company focused on improving safety, performance, and mental readiness in high-risk industries like maritime, defense, and emergency response. We help organizations detect early signs of stress and fatigue, prevent incidents, and strengthen team resilience. Our mission is to set a new standard for human risk detection—protecting the people who operate under the most extreme conditions.
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Weston, CT 06883
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North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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