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
- ModeratorÂ
- 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



