b'Whether over CongressmanCarterdeliveredanin between. Whether over coffee in the coffee in the morningimpassionedspeech,encouragingmorning sun, an impromptu discus-PVAmemberstomaketheirvoicession in the hallways, or conversations sun, an impromptuheardonCapitolHill.Withcriticalover dinner, the relationships formed discussion inpolicy decisions looming, he stressedandstrengthenedatMariTrendsare theimportanceofadvocacyanddi- what make the conference special.the hallways, orrect engagement with lawmakers. His conversationsmessage set the stage for the upcomingOne attendee captured this sentiment PVAFly-In,scheduledforApril29,perfectly, saying, Im here to be with over dinner, the2025, where members will have the op- 500 of my closest friends and allies. relationships formedportunity to meet with legislators andPVA isnt just an industry group, its and strengthened atpush for industry-friendly policies. a community.MariTrends areTHE HEART OF MARITRENDS:AsMariTrends2025wrappedup, what make theRELATIONSHIPS ANDattendeesdepartedSavannahwith SHARED KNOWLEDGE renewed purpose, fresh insights, and conference special. Whiletheweekwasfilledwithin- strongerconnections.Withapivotal formative sessions, panel discussions,year ahead in Washington, D.C., and and policy deep-dives, the true magicbeyond, the work continues. But if this theSmallShipyardGrantProgramof MariTrends 2025 wasnt just in theconferenceprovedanything,itsthat and the Capital Construction Fund.meeting rooms, it was in the momentsPVA is ready to meet the challenge.Bothprogramsplayavitalrolein keepingPVAmemberscompetitive by providing necessary financial re-sources for fleet upgrades and infra-structure improvements.While there was much to celebrate, the committee expressed concern that the U.S. Coast Guards Marine Inspection responsibilities could be deprioritized as new initiatives and shiny, new pri-orities compete for limited resources. Ensuring continued Coast Guard sup-port for vessel safety and compliance remains a top priority for PVA.AN EVENING AFLOATAND A CALL TO ACTIONFollowingthecommitteemeeting, PVA leaders from across the country gatheredforamemorableevening aboard the Georgia Queen, Savannahs iconic riverboat. Against the backdrop of the Savannah River, attendees en-joyed a warm welcome from U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), who represents Georgias First Congressional District.37 MARCH 2025'