Leading off the trio of presenters will be Dr. Lynette Cardoch, Ph.D., director of Resilience and Adaptation for Moffatt & Nichol. Dr. Cardoch will discuss how thinking about resiliency as a lens can help us achieve the operational readiness and business continuity that we need in our coastal communities. “It’s more than just having to harden assets; a truly resilient system takes into account the interconnectivity of the broader society,” she said.
Another presenter is Ann Phillips, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret), who is the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, Office of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. She will discuss coastal adaptation and protection in Virginia, building a master plan and implementing Executive Order 24, “Virginia’s roadmap to make our built-environment more resilient to floods, hurricanes, fires and other extreme weather events.” ~ signed by Governor Ralph Northam, Nov. 2, 2018.
Rounding out the trio will be Stephen Cauffman, Section Chief for Infrastructure Development and Recovery at the National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Cauffman will address the Joint Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to develop uniform guidance and associated tools to assess the resilience of individual ports, regional networks of ports, and inland marine transportation systems. “Considering ports as part of a system, with dependencies and interdependencies on infrastructure that are external to their operations, will lead to better informed decisions on resilience enhancements and adaptation to changing conditions,” he said.
Representing the convention’s host port, Virginia Port Authority Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jay Stecher expressed his enthusiasm for the event by saying, “We’re honored and thrilled to host this year’s AAPA convention. Together with our AAPA partners, we ran with the theme of ‘Revolutionizing America’s First Port’ – weaving it throughout the convention from start to finish. In addition to a conference agenda packed with industry experts and timely topics, we’re providing something at every turn throughout the three-day event. We have everything from a harbor tour that takes place on an authentic replica of a 19th century paddle-wheeler, to an interactive museum-like exhibit, trips to glass-blowing classes and a historic hotel and distillery. We’ll close the event with a reception on the decks of the USS Wisconsin. We’re looking forward to providing our guests with a high-quality, high-energy, and highly entertaining event.”
The convention’s three-day business program features a robust agenda, with industry leaders and subject matter experts focusing on topics ranging from ports as economic development engines, to technology and big data, cargo transportation efficiency, trade policy, emergency response and cybersecurity.
More information about AAPA’s 108th Annual Convention and Expo, including its business program agenda, exhibitors and sponsors, is available at https://federalconference.swoogo.com/aapavirginia2019/.
