NMTC Meeting Set for May

The National Marine Trades Council (NMTC), a group of leaders from state and national marine trades organizations, will meet May 16 to 18 in Newport, Rhode Island, at the Cambria Newport hotel.

The 2018 President, Melissa Danko, executive director of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, worked with executive director of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, Wendy Mackie, to develop the content for event, which includes attendee discussion of issues surrounding boat shows, association membership, and regulations, as well as presentations by several guests.

This year’s speakers and topics include:

·         Scott Jensen, director for workforce development for Rhode Island and formerly the secretary of labor of Maryland, on the value and impact of demand-driven training and industry partnerships;

·         Dennis Nixon, director of Rhode Island Sea Grant – on fiberglass boat recycling initiative, the offshore windfarm and/or other topics;

·         Evan Smith, president of Discover Newport – on the intersection and partnership opportunities that exist between hospitality and marine industry;

·         Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport and the host of the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover – at the Volvo village with a custom experience with likely other special guests.

Tentatively, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) will be a special guest for the group’s evening “clambake.”

More information can be obtained by contacting Melissa Danko at mdanko@mtanj.org or Wendy Mackie at wendy@rimta.org