Mariners for America Conference

March 30 – April 1, 2026 MITAGS East Campus | Linthicum Heights, MD

2026 CONFERENCE AGENDA

Agenda Subject to Change

ATTRACTING AND TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION

Day 1

9:00 - 9:45

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

  • Eric Friend – Executive Director, MITAGS
  • Don Josberger – President, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, AFL-CIO

9:45 - 10:15

Growing and Guiding Future Mariners

  • Allen Scott, Washington State Ferries

10:15 - 11:45

Maritime-Focused High Schools and Early Outreach

  • Moderator – Dr. Arthur Sulzer
  • Matt Wilson, Maritime Academy Charter School
  • Molly Dushay, NMEPA
  • Kristie Wolford, Director, Maritime253
  • Jimmy Zatwarnicki, Liberty Nautical Education Center

11:45 - 13:15

LUNCH

13:15 - 14:15

Expanding Nontraditional Talent Pipelines

  • Ally Tenorio, Women Offshore
  • Capt. Howard Wyche, Organization of Black Maritime Graduates

14:15 - 15:45

Union, Community and Technical College Programs

  • Moderator – Kipp Snow, Community College of Baltimore County
  • Michele Barutha, MITAGS
  • John Stauffer, San Jacinto Community College
  • Dale Bateman, Seattle Maritime Academy
  • Capt. Michael Bacher, Western Pacific Maritime Academy

15:45 - 16:15

NETWORKING BREAK

16:00 - 16:45

Training the Nation’s Coastal Marine Workforce

  • Capt. Zander Parker, Maine Maritime Academy
  • Capt. Tim Leach, Maine Maritime Academy

16:45 - 17:30

Military to Mariner Transitions

  • LCDR Kara Krenisky, USN

18:00 - 19:30

RECEPTION – SPONSORED BY MM-SEAS

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Day 2

8:00 - 8:15

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

  • Gregg Pelowski, Former Director, Total Force Management, Military Sealift Command

8:15 - 9:45

Towards a Sustainable Mariner Workforce – Innovative Training Technologies

  • Moderator – Gregg Pelowski, FormerDirector, Total Force Management,Military Sealift Command
  • Elspeth McMahon, Old Dominion University
  • Talita Marina Scarcela Barros, Maersk Training
  • Andy Parkin, KILO Solutions

9:45 - 10:15

NETWORKING BREAK

10:15 - 11:00

Cyber Skills for Future Mariners

  • Dan Turissini

11:15 - 12:00

Navigating the Mariner Credentialling Process

  • Nate Gilman

12:00 - 13:30

LUNCH

13:30 - 15:00

Mariner Retention and Mentoring

  • Moderator – Gregg Pelowski, FormerDirector, Total Force Management,Military Sealift Command
  • Capt. David Melin, Puget Sound Pilots
  • John Anderson,
  • Capt. Ted Markuske
  • John Van Wylen, Key-to-the-Sea Chest Consulting, LLC

15:00 - 15:30

NETWORKING BREAK

15:30 - 17:00

Pathways after Sailing

  • Moderator – Shipbuild Talent Hib
  • Nathan Power – Shipyard Operations
  • Christopher Clark – Marine Surveyors

18:00 - 21:00

DINNER WITH SPEAKER

WELL BEING

Day 3

8:00 - 8:30

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

8:30 - 10:00

Mental Health at Sea/ Stress, Fatigue, Isolation

  • Moderator 
  • Dr. Marissa Baker, University of Washington
  • John Prell, Vikland
  • Dr. Maria Carrera. World Maritime University

10:00 - 10:15

NETWORKING BREAK

10:15 - 11:15

Mariner Quality of Life Tools

  • Moderator
  • Joseph Bienvenu
  • Ally Tenorio

11:15 - 11:45

Balancing Tradition and Technology: Charting Safer Seas for the Future

  • Shawn Smith

11:45 - 12:00

CLOSING REMARKS

Thank you to Our Sponsors

2025 Pilot Sponsor

2025 Master Sponsor

2025 Navigator Sponsor