b'The PVA committees were the first to meet. Vessel and associate members work together on these committees to FOGHORN FOCUS identify, discuss, and consider solutions for the top issues within the passenger vessel industry. Among other topics, the Legislative Committee reviewed the fall Congressional Fly-in and looked at what Congress is currently focused on and will be in the near future. The Safety & Security and the Regulatory committees turned their attention towards topics such as recent U.S. Coast Guard regulations, and in a joint afternoon session heard from Morgan Turrell with the National Transportation Safety Board. A happy hour was on the schedule for the Emerging Leaders Committee to build connections with like-minded peers taking on leader-ship roles in their companies.That evening, the Portland Spirit hosted guests for a cruise alongtheWillametteRiverandtheannualPVALead-ership Dinner. It was not only for a chance for past and present association leaders to kick off the convention but it was also the setting for recognizing longtime PVA mem-ber Alan Bernstein. Bernstein was honored with the 2023 Achievement Award by the National Rivers Hall of Fame. Looking back over a career that started with a job as a deck-hand in the 1970s, he was acknowledged for his dedication to the industry, his community, and partners in his region. Read more about the award and Bernsteins achievements on page 38 of this issue. FOGHORN 10'