Please access the available presentations from our amazing speakers below.
TUESDAY: September 24, 2024
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Exhibitor Prep Rally
Sponsored by: Ansley Corporate Entertainment
WEDNESDAY: September 25, 2024
- The Power of Branding
Todd Duff, Innovations Branding House
- Infrastructure Security and Call to Action
Steven Lyddon, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Commodity/Market Forecast
Grains: Mike Steenhoek, Soy Transportation Coalition
Scrap and Steel: Philip K. Bell, CAE, President, Steel Manufacturers Association
- State of Rail Industry
- GeoPolitical Impacts on Inland River Transportation
- Federal Agency Update
Derrick Smith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District
Shawn Komlos, Institute of Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- The Future of Loading
THURSDAY: September 26, 2024
- Port Panel: Projects, Experiences and Needs
Ed Weilbacher, Kaskaskia Regional Port District
Walker Smith, Harlingen Port Authority
Penny Traina, Columbiana County Port Authority
- State of the River Industry
Brian Rafferty, Marquette Transportation
- Updates: Great Lakes Transportation
Jackie Q. Carter, Port Milwaukee
- Lunch and Learn
Joe Liebau, Foth (All about Grants)
- After the Award (Expectations and Tips)
David Matsuda, Matsuda and Associates
Matt Wartian, Burns & McDonnell
Keith Brinkmann, Scheffel Boyle
James Morrow, Port of St. Louis Attorney
- Water Resiliency and Forecasting
Robert Landry and Andrew Courtois, The Water Institute of the Gulf
- Global Connections
Ginger Williamson, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
- Happy Hour Live: Dock Talk Podcast with OpenTug
“That was a tremendous conference that your team produced. Really top notch. I’ve been involved with over 100 conferences in the past 3 years so I know the effort that is required. I told Jim Kearns that the IRPT team is second to none.” - Dave Wilson, Cyber Alliances
Meet our Speakers
Derrick Smith
Derrick Smith is Project Development Branch Chief and Assistant Deputy of the Programs and Project Management Division. Smith also serves as Regional Project Manager for the Mississippi Valley Division’s Mississippi…
Read MoreEd Weilbacher
Ed Weilbacher is the General Manager for the Kaskaskia Regional Port District (KRPD). He started with the Port in 2011. KRPD is only 30 miles south of St. Louis. The…
Read MoreJackie Q. Carter
A lifelong resident of Milwaukee, Jackie Q. Carter has worked in the local non-profit and public sector for more than 20 years. She currently serves as Director of Port Milwaukee,…
Read MoreRobert Landry
Robert M. Landry, Senior Advisor at The Water Institute of the Gulf, brings years of experience in maritime business including cargo and maritime leases, cruise and tourism, industrial real estate,…
Read MoreDawn Lopez
Dawn Lopez is Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations of Associated Terminals and Turn Services. The companies provide maritime services including stevedoring, logistics, terminal and port operations, towboat, fleeting…
Read MoreAndrew Courtois
Andrew Courtois is a Geoscientist at The Water Institute with nearly a decade of experience in coastal and fluvial research. He also serves as Field Coordinator at the Institute and…
Read MoreWalker Smith
Walker Smith is the Executive Director at the Port of Harlingen Authority, appointed in March 2014. As director, he has added a national agriculture chemical supplier and two international petroleum…
Read MoreRestaurants in Memphis
