The Board of Directors of the Midwest Area River Coalition (MARC 2000) voted unanimously on December 15, 2006 to approve the merger of MARC 2000 into Waterways Council, Inc. The Board of Directors of Waterways Council had previously approved this merger. Under the terms of the agreement, Waterways Council will retain the right to continue to use the name MARC 2000 in pursuance of the Midwest region’s priorities and goals. It is expected that this merger will be completed by the end of 2006.
This merger is designed to nationalize the issue of lock modernization for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway (UMRS) to help accomplish the mission of maintaining and modernizing the waterways infrastructure of the UMRS.
The MARC 2000 coalition, with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, was formed in 1992 to promote Midwest economic growth through the responsible development and improvement of the infrastructure of the UMRS, which includes the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Waterways Council, which is based in Washington, DC, and lead by President and CEO R. Barry Palmer, plans to maintain a Midwest regional office to be headed by Paul Rohde, current president of MARC 2000.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, MARC 2000 has committed to encourage its members to remain as members of Waterways Council, Inc. and to provide support to Waterways Council’s priorities. These priorities include working to ensure an optimal level of federal support and funding for the planning, construction, operation and
maintenance of port and inland waterways navigation improvements, and working to ensure public awareness of the integral role of a modern and well-maintained system of navigable ports and inland waterways to meet the Nation’s transportation needs.
A transition team will be appointed for the merger composed of representatives from Waterways Council, Inc. and MARC 2000.