News Release
FOR RELEASE - May 23, 2005
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (May 23, 2005) — Two Alexandria-based associations that represent international maritime interests signed an accord on May 13 at a joint conference in Charleston, S.C., that promises to enhance effectiveness of their respective organizations, provide a valuable new asset to their members, and create synergies that will benefit the marine industry as a whole.
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)—the organization representing public ports throughout the Western Hemisphere, and the United States Section of the International Navigation Association (PIANC)—the international organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, which represents navigation interests throughout the world, on May 13 entered into a first-ever Partnership Agreement. In that agreement, the two entities agreed to cooperate on such activities as seminars, workshops, studies, events, information dissemination and other functions that will provide a framework to pursue cooperative projects of mutual interest.
Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and chief executive officer, said the Partnership Agreement with PIANC is symbolic of an initiative that AAPA recently implemented called SHARE, which is an approach aimed at helping its members optimize trade opportunities and overcome 21st century challenges. "For our part," said Nagle, "we will encourage AAPA members to participate in PIANC joint committees and work groups to promote and advance solutions to issues that affect the maritime industry, both here in the U.S. and throughout the Western Hemisphere."
In terms of AAPA, the accord with PIANC comes on the heels of several other cooperation alliances with organizations having similar interests and goals, including the:
Signatories to the AAPA-PIANC agreement included AAPA’s Nagle; PIANC’s U.S. Section Chairman Representative, John Paul Woodley, Jr.; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Major Gen. Don T. Riley, PIANC’s U.S. Section president.
"PIANC organizes working groups on current challenges facing the navigation community with participants from throughout the world," said Gen. Riley, who also serves as the Corps of Engineers’ Director of Civil Works. "This partnership paves the way for members of both PIANC and AAPA to participate in and receive results from navigation-related scientific and engineering research conducted by some of the world’s top experts."
After the AAPA/PIANC signing ceremony, the Corps’ Gen. Riley and PIANC’s John Paul Woodley presented a special commendation award to AAPA’s Kurt Nagle, who is stepping down in June after eight years of service as a PIANC U.S. Section Commissioner. By-laws prevent PIANC commissioners from serving more than two four-year terms.
[NOTE: A photograph of the AAPA/PIANC Partnership Agreement signing and a photograph of Kurt Nagle receiving a commendation award is available upon request.]
