First Wheelhouse Management Class Held At Point Pleasant

On September 24, 2025, officials from the Mountwest Maritime Academy and the Point Pleasant River Museum & Lakin Ray Cook Learning Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the museum in Point Pleasant, W.Va., to celebrate a partnership between the two organizations.

Mountwest has been offering U.S. Coast Guard-approved and industry entry-level training classes at its facility in Huntington, W.Va., for many years. Those classes have been so popular that they often fill up. The expansion of classes to the museum property at Point Pleasant not only provides more space for classes, but also makes them more convenient for people living in the Point Pleasant area to attend.

The Point Pleasant River Museum and Learning Center has offered radar courses in the past and has classroom space and two simulators for use with the new classes. Museum Executive Director Tom Dunn said that this partnership enhances the organization’s role as both a historical and educational center. Museum board president Jordan Pickens said that the partnership would “help preserve the history, skills and traditions of the river industry while creating hands-on educational opportunities for the next generation.”

Classes at the Point Pleasant location began on October 7, 2025, and were filled immediately after being offered. Two weeks ago, the facility hosted its first Wheelhouse Resource Management class. This initial class was attended by employees of Amherst Madison, Charleston, W.Va. Dunn said that the course offers a great atmosphere for enhancing the skills of towboat pilots.

“Seeing the first Wheelhouse Resource Management class come together so successfully is exciting,” Pickens said. “We look forward to building on that momentum.”

On May 6, while the Wheelhouse Resource Management class was going on, We Work the Waterways (WWW) held a Maritime Interaction Day at Point Pleasant. Three separate schools had a total of more than 100 students in attendance at the event. Errin Howard, executive director of the organization, said that even though the weather didn’t cooperate, it was “one of the best events that we have held at Point Pleasant.”

Due to rain, the American Legion graciously opened its entire building to the group. Companies that participated included AEP, Amherst Madison, Crounse Corporation and Hines Furlong Line. The Point Pleasant River Museum & Lakin Ray Cook Learning Center and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also participated.

An unexpected visitor to both the WWW event and the Wheelhouse Resource Management class was U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. Moore Capito just happened to be in the area and stopped by both places and made remarks regarding the importance of the inland river industry and the jobs that it provides.

Featured photo caption: Amherst Madison Wheelhouse Resource Management class. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Brian Patterson of Amherst)