National Waterways Conference Officers
NWC's chairman isW. Richard Christensen of Destin, Fla., a consultant for Ashland Oil, Inc., for which he was until a few months ago vice president, marine/surface transportation and facilities. He has led the NWC since March 1993. Serving as vice chairman is Robert W.
Portiss, port director at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, situated at the head of navigation on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. Tulsa will host NWC's annual meeting next year.
Harry N. Cook of Washington, D.C., is president, a post which he has held since 1978. In June, he marked his 30th anniversary as an NWC official. He joined the organization in 1964 as managing director and became executive vice president 10 years later.
NWC's first vice president is Dennis L. Kirwin of Houston, vice president and general manager of Midland Marine Corp.
There are four vice presidents: Wallace A. Gieringer, consultant for Pine Bluff-Jefferson County (Ark.) Port Authority; Charles F.
Lehman of Jeffersonville, Ind., vice president of American Commercial Barge Line Co.; Gale R.
Rhodes of Lakin, W. Va., manager, river transportation, AEP Fuel Supply; and Donald G.
Waldon of Columbus, Miss., administrator, Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority.
William J. Hull of Sea Island, Ga., who had served as vice president and counsel since 1974, died in June. He was one of NWC's founders.
Donald C. McCrory, director of the Port of Memphis, is treasurer andH. Nelson Spencer, III, of St. Louis, is secretary.
The officers, plus 14 other members elected from the Board of Directors, constitute the Executive Committee: Arthur W. Bayer of Mt. Vernon, Ind., president and general manager, Mt. Vernon Barge Service, Inc.;Robert G. Brave, executive director, Little Rock (Ark.) Port Authority; W. R.
(Ron) Coles of Nashville, president, W. R. Coles & Associates; Brian L. Garrity of Mundelein, 111., manager, water distribution system, IMC Fertilizer, Inc.; Keith R. Gosney of Chesterfield, Mo., president, Pinnacle Transportation, Inc.
William F. Harbison of Greenville, Miss., president, Arkansas River Co.; David W. Kreutzer of Elizabeth, Pa., general manager, river division, Consolidation Coal Co.; Charles Douglas McGinnis of South Point, Ohio, chair- man, McGinnis, Inc.; A. J. Milligan of Birmingham, principal, fuel procurement and planning, Southern Co. Services, Inc.; Offa S. Nichols, also of Birmingham, president, Warrior- Tombigbee Development Assn.
R. Barry Palmer of Pittsburgh, executive director, DINAMO; T. Mark Simmons of Belzoni, Miss., executive committee, Lower Mississippi Valley Flood Control Assn.; Alan Willis, government relations representative, Port of Portland (Ore.); and John T. Zick of Chicago, senior vice president, North American grain division, Continental Grain Co.
NWC is governed by a 75-member Board of Directors. Former presidents and chairpeople who are still active in the waterways industry serve on the Consultative Council. There is also an Advisory Council consisting of former Board members elected by the Executive Committee. Vernon Behrhorst of Lafayette, La., executive director of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Assn., chairs the Advisory Board.