Remembering Royce Wilken

 

By Jennifer Carpenter, AWO President & CEO

 

AWO mourns the death of longtime industry leader and former Chairman of the Board Royce Wilken (1953-2025), who passed away on February 11. As President of American River Transportation Company, Royce served as AWO's Midwest Region Chairman before becoming Chairman of the Board in 2007.

 

Royce's message to members in AWO's 2007 Annual Report rings as true today as it did when he penned these words: "There is no better time for us to come together than when so many high-stakes issues are at hand . . . AWO allows us to be seen by policymakers as a nation-wide industry that has enormous value for America's economy, environment, national security and quality of life." Royce's leadership was crucial to helping AWO navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that prevailed during his chairmanship, and his legacy of strong, inclusive, good-humored servant leadership was a source of inspiration to me and so many others in our industry throughout his long career. In December 2019, as I was about to take on the presidency of AWO, Royce sent me a heartfelt note of encouragement, adding, "I take pride in having served with you over the years." To which I say: right back at you, sir . . . the pleasure and the privilege were mine. To Royce's wife, Lois, his family and many friends, we send our sincere condolences on their loss and our deepest appreciation on a life and a career well lived.

AWO Supports Steven Bradbury's Nomination as Deputy Secretary of Transportation. AWO issued a letter in support of Steven Bradbury, nominee to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation, ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing on February 20. Mr. Bradbury was strongly supportive of the domestic maritime industry while serving as Chief Counsel of the Department of Transportation (DOT) during the first Trump Administration. AWO previously supported the nomination of former Rep. Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation; Secretary Duffy expressed unequivocal support for the Jones Act at his Senate confirmation hearing in January.

 

On February 19, AWO met with DOT political appointees to discuss opportunities to work together in support of President Trump's and Secretary Duffy's priorities, including collaboration to enhance the efficiency and resiliency of the transportation supply chain and secure the American maritime industry's role in unleashing American energy production and distribution.

AWO Joins WCI Fly-In. AWO President & CEO Jennifer Carpenter and Vice President-Legislative Affairs Craig Montesano joined WCI members as they took to Capitol Hill for WCI's 2025 Fly-In on February 5. Attendees urged Members of Congress in both chambers to fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program to the full extent supportable by the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) to accelerate the pace of infrastructure construction and rehabilitiation, as well as oppose any potential additional tolling, lockage fees, or other harmful charges for users of the inland waterways system.

Chairman Ezell Voices Support for the Jones Act. During an early February hearing entitled America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure, Representative Mike Ezell (R-MS), Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, expressed strong support for the Jones Act in his remarks. The Jones Act "is quite literally the bedrock and foundation of our nation's shipbuilding industrial base because it helps maintain a pool of qualified American mariners that we rely on to transport goods and our military, in times of peace and war," Chairman Ezell emphasized.

 

Throughout the hearing, which featured witnesses from the Shipbuilders Council of America and Seafarers International Union of North America, witnesses and other Members of Congress also explained the importance of the American maritime industry to national security and economic resilience and the critical importance of the Jones Act.

Maritime Leaders Testify Against New Hampshire Anti-Jones Act Resolution. On February 7, Brian Vahey, AWO Vice President - Atlantic Region; Dick Balzano, Vice President for Government Affairs at Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company; and Andrew Strosahl, President of the Maine Maritime Academy Alumni Association, testified before the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Committee against New Hampshire House Resolution 10, calling for repeal of the Jones Act. In his testimony, Brian discussed the importance of the Jones Act in protecting New Hampshire jobs, state and national borders, military readiness, and American supply chain control.

 

Mr. Balzano, who served as Deputy Maritime Administrator during the first Trump Administration, emphasized the importance of the Jones Act to the state's economy, maritime jobs, and national security. "The repeal would offshore hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs to foreign workers, shut down critical maritime academies, and devastate our commercial shipbuilding industry," said Mr. Balzano. While Committee members voted to amend the language of the resolution from "repeal" to "reform" following the hearing, AWO and maritime allies continue to oppose the resolution.

 

HCR 10 will face a floor vote in the New Hampshire House in March. AWO continues to conduct outreach to state representatives and educate them on the importance of the Jones Act to the domestic maritime industry.

 

For further information, please contact Lillie Wightman.

Maritime Exemptions from Paid Leave Laws Introduced in Illinois and Missouri. As a result of AWO advocacy efforts, bills have recently been introduced in Illinois and Missouri to exempt mariners from mandatory paid leave and earned paid sick leave requirements. On February 5, Illinois Representative Lawrence Walsh Jr. introduced HB 2808, which would exempt mariners from the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act. On February 12, Missouri Senator Jamie Burger introduced SB 703, which would exempt mariners from the earned paid sick leave law that was approved via ballot measure during the November election.

 

AWO plans to advocate in support of both bills in the 2025 legislative sessions. Please be on the lookout for an invitation to join us in Springfield, Illinois and/or Jefferson City, Missouri to help with these efforts. All Illinois and Missouri residents and operators are also encouraged to contact their state legislators and urge them to support these bills. Illinois residents can find their state legislators by using this link, and Missouri residents can find their state legislators by using this link. Please contact Kyle Burleson or Justin Lampert for more assistance.

Pro-Jones Act Resolution Introduced in Missouri Senate. Senator Tracy McCreery (D-St. Louis County) recently introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, a resolution expressing support for the Jones Act and honoring the importance of the domestic maritime industry in Missouri. AWO will work with Senator McCreery and others in the Missouri General Assembly to garner support for the resolution and ensure its passage.

Illinois Halts Brandon Road Construction Due to Funding. Illinois has postponed construction of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP) due to the Trump administration's withholding of $117 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. BRIP was originally scheduled to break ground in February but will be postponed with a potential closing in May. Despite the halt, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has confirmed that work on increment 1B of BRIP, which is focused on preventing invasive carp from moving into the Great Lakes at Brandon Road and includes site prep and channel rock excavation, will continue without delay. For further information, please contact Lillie Wightman.

AWO Opposes Washington State Bill to Adopt California At-Berth Rule. On February 4, AWO Vice President - Pacific Region and Regional Team Lead Peter Schrappen joined maritime leaders in opposing House Bill 1869, which would direct Washington state's Department of Ecology to explore adopting California's At-Berth emissions rules. Peter testified that the infrastructure is not in place to add more regulations like the At-Berth Rule for oceangoing vessels. The bill does not appear to be moving, and AWO will continue to monitor this issue as Washington state's 105-day legislative session continues.

January Safety Newsletter Recap. In the latest edition of AWO's Navigating to Zero Safety and Sustainability Newsletter, we shared the Coast Guard's newest NVIC 01-25, which provides guidance for harbor safety committees; previewed the AWO Moveable Bridge Working Group's upcoming report and presentation; highlighted forums and opportunities for member engagement, including Industry meetings and the Winter AWO Regional and Safety Meetings; shared recent Coast Guard and BSEE safety alerts; provided an update about the USCG Interactive LNM Website; and more!

 

Read these stories and other safety news in the January NTZ, and please be sure to send in your SSRP reports for the 4th Quarter, High Value Near Misses, and stories about your crew's HEROic acts!

 

If you would like to receive the NTZ each month, please contact Deanna Wisniewski to set up email delivery.

Eno to Host Webinar on Benefits and Beneficiaries of Inland Waterways. Join the Eno Center for Transportation's upcoming webinar on February 26 at 1:30 P.M. (ET), which will highlight the many ways inland waterways support our economy and discuss their future development, as emphasized in research conducted by Eno and commissioned by the National Waterways Foundation. The webinar will also feature insights from industry experts. Click here to learn more or register.

AWO Hiring Legislative Affairs Manager. AWO is looking for an experienced professional to join our legislative affairs team. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of experience managing a portfolio of public policy issues on Capitol Hill (preferably in the Senate), have good relationships with Congressional staff on both sides of the aisle, and be familiar with the committee process. Read the full job description and how to apply here. 

Join AWO at Our Annual Regional Meetings! Thank you to all who have attended our Annual Meetings so far! There is just one meeting left on the calendar -- visit the link below to learn more, and please reach out to Caitlin Clark with any questions. 

 

PACIFIC REGION ANNUAL MEETING

March 5-6, 2025

Hotel 1000

Seattle, WA