The American Waterways Operators - Annual Reports 2016 | Page 3

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
CHARTING THE FUTURE THROUGH
Cooperation, Communication
and Commitment
2016
was a challenging year for the tugboat,
towboat and barge industry on
the economic front, but it was a year of significant
accomplishment for AWO. We delivered meaningful
results for AWO members and charted a future course
that will position our association and our industry for
enduring future success.
Cooperation, communication, and commitment were
the bedrock of the year’s accomplishments.
Cooperation – between members and staff, with our
army of national and regional coalition partners, and
with our partners in government – was key to our
success on the advocacy, safety and environmental
fronts. Working together, we defeated attempts to
undermine the Jones Act, brought vessel discharge
reform legislation closer than ever to the president’s desk,
and passed water resources and development legislation
without poison pills like lock closures or tolls. AWO
members successfully implemented new Responsible
Carrier Program requirements that took effect January
1, 2016, and worked with the Coast Guard and our
RCP audit partners to prepare for smooth
implementation of Subchapter M, the
landmark towing vessel inspection
regulations published in June that
will increase safety, security and
environmental stewardship across
our entire industry.
Candid communication was a
hallmark of our long journey
to publication of Subchapter M,
and communication
continues to be critical
as we move into the
implementation phase
of that journey.
Since publication of the rule, AWO has maintained a
constant dialogue with the Coast Guard to help the
agency prioritize and respond to industry questions and
concerns. In November, that communication culminated
in the Coast Guard’s acceptance of the RCP as an existing
safety management system under Subchapter M, a
significant milestone that will greatly facilitate smooth
implementation of the new regulations.
We made some of our greatest strides this year through
commitment. When I took the gavel in April, I pledged
to work with the Executive Committee, the Board and
the staff to make sure that AWO is run with the same
sensitivity to cost as you run your companies. Working
together, we produced a 2017 budget that includes no
increase in member dues revenue, while taking care not to
harm the muscle that enables AWO to get the job done.
Our collective commitment to AWO’s sustained future
success was also evident in our development of a new
strategic plan, Charting the Future. Vice Chairman
Ted Tregurtha and I co-chaired the Strategic Planning
Task Force, a thoughtful and dedicated group of AWO
members who took the time to think deeply about
AWO’s future needs and construct a strategic plan to
meet them. The new plan provides AWO with the road
map to achieve members’ vision and ensure our success
over the next six years.
I thank every AWO member for the myriad ways
you demonstrate cooperation, communication, and
commitment in the service of our industry. We are better
for it, and I am honored to serve as your chairman.
CHAIRMAN JIM FARLEY
Kirby Corporation
2016 ANNUAL REPORT CHARTING THE FUTURE