Maritime Industries Academy News

WISTA Annual Luncheon at CMA’s Shipping 2012 presents action-packed program. Bahamas signs Washington Declaration, lessons learned from Deepwater Horizon, and a Flag Ceremony farewell to USCG Vice Commandant Brice O’Hara. WISTA USA President Jeanne M. Grasso presided over an action-packed program at this year’s WISTA USA Annual Luncheon held at the beginning of CMA’s Shipping 2012 conference in Stamford, Connecticut. “I don’t think we could have made this year’s luncheon more exciting, interesting, or robust”, stated Grasso, a Blank Rome LLP Partner and President of WISTA USA.

Glen Paine, President, Maritime Industries Academy Foundation (MIAF) announced that the Steamship Trade Association of  Baltimore Charitable Legacy, Inc. donated $10,000 to the MIAF non-profit charity, which was setup to support Baltimore’s only maritime high school. This maritime charity was founded by Mr. Mark Montgomery, CEO, Ports America Chesapeake, and Mr. Michael Angelos, President, Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore. In a correspondence to Legacy Inc., Glen Paine said, “Since its inception in 2009, the Maritime Industries Academy Advisory Board and Foundation have assisted in the relocation of the MIA and the implementation of a maritime curriculum for ninth grade. It has also helped establish a Junior Naval Officer Training Corps and Honor Guard.

Connie Luncheon Held at The Newark Club, December 5; Stanley Sher Given Lifetime Achievement Recognition. Connie Award recipient is R. Kenneth Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc. The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII) presented the 2011 Connie Award to Robert Kenneth (Ken) Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc., for his significant influence in containerization in worldwide trade and transportation. The Connie Awards luncheon was held Monday, December 5 at The Newark (NJ) Club and marked 40 years of Connie Awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Stanley Sher, a maritime attorney in Washington D.C.…

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (Md.-07), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, joined Bud Nixon, Chairman of the Private Sector Port Coalition, Katrina Jones with the Maryland Port Administration, and Sharon LeGrand of the Maritime Administration to tour Baltimore City's Maritime Industries Academy and discuss new initiatives to ensure that all students enrolled in the school can explore the growing number of opportunities available in the maritime industry. While the Maritime Industries Academy can boast academic accomplishments-including a 99 percent graduation rate with 85 percent of graduates proceeding to college, impressive attendance rates, and increasing test scores-no maritime coursework was being offered in this maritime-themed school.