Panelists Provide Insight On Workforce Development

Several sessions of the recently concluded Inland Marine Expo dealt with the perennial topic of workforce recruitment. Jonathan Dunn, senior director of corporate communications at American Commercial Barge Line and a member of the advisory board of We Work the Waterways (WWW), hosted a panel that include Dawn Lopez, vice president of marketing and public relations at Associated Terminals and Turn Services and a member of WWW’s advisory council; Terence James, director of career and technical education at the Vicksburg Warren School District; and Capt. Kenny Brown, founder of Maritime Throwdown (MTD).

MOU With We Work The Waterways

Brown said he began MTD 10 years ago because he “thought it would be cool.” The events have grown and steadily attracted more attention. They have evolved into a key recruiting tool for attracting students to careers in and on the waterways. Brown has had a longtime collaboration with Errin Howard, founder of WWW, and this was formalized later in the IMX with the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Later at the IMX, Maritime Throwdown and We Work the Waterways officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a workforce development partnership designed to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of maritime professionals.

The agreement creates a marketing initiative tied to Maritime Throwdown’s MTD Pro Training Rig, a hands-on training platform developed to strengthen practical line-handling skills, safety awareness, communication, teamwork and deck-level competency. For every MTD Pro Training Rig sold, Maritime Throwdown will donate $1,000 to We Work the Waterways to support maritime workforce development programs and outreach initiatives.

“But this partnership is about much more than a donation,” Capt. Brown said on MTD’s website. “It represents two organizations aligning around a shared mission: increasing awareness of maritime careers, creating pathways into the industry and helping maritime companies build stronger, safer and more capable workforces.”

Changing Culture

“In the past we have lost mariners to bad leadership on vessels,” Brown said during the panel. “This happens much less today. Everything is slow-moving in the inland industry, but the culture is changing in positive ways.” He said social media is greatly helping MTD to spread its outreach with organic growth more than paid ads.

Paul Christopher Casebonne, last year’s MTD winner, detailed his journey in the industry. He started out in 2013 working for Blessey Marine, he said. Due to his own feelings that he had much more to learn, Casebonne left Blessey and went to work for Plimsoll Marine, where he worked on improving his line-handling. When he felt ready, he reapplied to Blessey, which “welcomed me back with open arms,” helping him earn his license and ascend to the wheelhouse.

WWW members often speak to students at all levels, and Lopez told the story of the student who, when asked the most important thing he learned from the WWW presentation, responded, “I learned that I mattered.”

Dr. Terence James, director of career and technical education with Vicksburg Warren School District, has been closely involved both with WWW and MTD. “In Mississippi, workforce development is Priority Number One,” he said. He admitted, “Even though I grew up in Vicksburg, I knew nothing about the river industry (as a youth). Awareness is key!”

Mark Knoy Award

In the audience of the panel on Workforce Development was Mark Knoy, retired president and CEO of American Commercial Barge Line. Panelist Dawn Lopez and founder Errin Howard often have credited Knoy with helping WWW to define its mission and direction at its founding, even to the point of being a co-founder. We Work the Waterways was originally called RiverWorks Discovery.

To honor Knoy’s vision and leadership — the “seed” of what became We Work the Waterways — the WWW team has named its service awards after him. The inaugural Mark Knoy Award was given in three categories. Dawn Lopez received the first individual award for her long service with WWW. AEP River Services — where Knoy served as president before becoming president and CEO of ACBL — was given a partner award. Jefferson County School District, whose close collaboration with WWW goes back years, was also given a partner award.