VMA Service and Port of Hampton Roads Champion Awards

from David White, Vice President of the Virginia Maritime Association; contact David at (757) 622-2639or at VMA@PortOfHamptonRoads.com.

The Virginia Maritime Association (VMA) has announced the presentation of the following awards:

• "Distinguished Service Award" to Colonel Dionysios “Dan” Anninos, Commander of the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• “Port Champion” to Captain Martin J. Moynihan, Executive Director of the Port of Richmond until his retirement in 2008
• "Port Champion" to Captain Patrick B. Trapp, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads until his promotion in April, 2009

Captain J. William Cofer, President of VMA made the awards presentations in front of an audience of 900 at the Association's 89th Annual Maritime Banquet, held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott hotel on the evening of May 14, 2009. Col. Anninos, Capt. Moynihan and Capt. Trapp were presented with Resolutions of Appreciation for their respective and unique contributions promoting, protecting and encouraging the Port of Hampton Roads.

The Maritime Industry, through the leadership of the Virginia Maritime Association (VMA), continues to be the driving force for the progressive development of the Port of Hampton Roads. VMA was founded in 1920 for the purpose of promoting, protecting and encouraging the interests of commercial shipping through the Port of Hampton Roads. VMA's goals and purpose remain true today with over 500 members and a diverse committee structure prepared to address any subject relating to the overall operations of the Port. From physical harbor improvements to working with various governmental and legislative agencies, the Association strives to improve the great Port of Hampton Roads.

Environmental Sustainability of Our Local Ports Panel

by D. K. "Seneca" Bock, President of the League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads


The League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads presents a panel discussion on "The Environmental Sustainability of Our Local Ports" on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at Virginia Wesleyan College's Blocker Auditorium. A Meet and Greet will be held at 6:30 pm and the Forum will start at 7:00 pm.


Panelists scheduled are:

• The Honorable Joseph Bouchard, House of Delegates (VA)
• Christy Everett, Hampton Roads Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  
• RAdm Raynor A. K Taylor, USN (Ret.), President of Future of Hampton Roads
• Heather L. W. Mantz, Director of Environmental Affairs for the Virginia Port Authority
  

Download a Virginia Wesleyan Campus Map HERE.

Hampton Roads Maritime & International Trade Guide

To purchase copies, call 804-649-6999 or email Karen Chenault at kchenault@va-business.com Copies sell for: 1 - 10 copies = $2.00 each 11 - 49 copies = $1.75 each 50 & over copies = $1.50 each plus tax and shipping The 2009 Virginia Business Magazine's annual publication highlighting maritime and international trade in Hampton Roads features:

• Looking to a brighter future/Virginia ports hope economic decline has bottomed out: Interview with Joe Dorto, President and CEO of Virginia International Terminals and Hampton Roads Partnership Board member
  
  
• Riding out the storm/U.S. Navy's $14 billion contract brings job security to Newport News shipyard: Extension of contract with Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics to build Virginia-class submarines, last of which is to be delivered in 2019
  
  
• Colleges help match student skills with employer needs: Old Dominion University (ODU) and Tidewater Community College (TCC) offer courses, majors and clubs to help students interested in maritime and commerce professions
  
  
• Testing your seaworthiness/Maritime academy simulator tests students' preparedness: A distinct level of realism allows bridge and engineering mariners to train and practice together without threatening vessels
  
  
• Reports on: Imports/Protecting consumers; Transportation/New barge service expands port 100 wiles to the west, 200-mile Heartland Rail Corridor opens in 2010, Trucking; Environment/A swimmable and fishable river; Foreign Trade Zones/An Edge to U.S. manufacturers; Port of Virginia statistics and more.
  

ODU’s Maritime Institute, comparing American and European ports

by Andrew Sinclair, Hampton Roads Partnership Program Manager

On Monday morning, March 30 Thanos Pallis, a professor in the Department of Shipping, Trade & Transport at the University of the Aegean in Greece (and visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Center for Energy, Marine Transportation & Public Policy at Columbia University), gave a presentation at Nauticus as part of ODU’s Maritime Institute Speaker Series. Dr. Pallis’ remarks focused on the current trends in European port operations and the efforts to create a consistent European Port Policy.

Overall, it seems that European and US ports face the same issues: infrastructure upgrades, traffic congestion, needed warehouse space, consolidation and location of distribution centers/logistics parks, expedited connections inland, etc. The perceived primary user of transportation infrastructure is a notable difference, as Dr. Pallis’ ninth slide indicates: rather than noting the number of trucks on the road, it indicates the number of passenger cars slowing down port truck traffic! The environment and the impact on it by port operations seems also to be of a greater concern in Europe, perhaps because there are not clear and consistent procedures on how to evaluate and mitigate environmental impacts as there is in the US. Finally, Europe is seeing a trend of port alliances and mergers unlike in the US, including mergers across national borders: specifically, all the Scandinavia ports recently consolidated under one authority.

Comparing European and American Ports

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State of the Port

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the Virginia Port Authority, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, reporting to the Secretary of Transportation, to share their "State of the Port" report.

Direct link to The Port of Virginia Presentation

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The presentation includes an overview of the Port, Terminals and Improvements, the Future of the Port, Service throughout Virginia and the Economic Impact of the Port of Virginia. Courtesy of the Virginia Port Authority.

The Port is the state's leading agency for international transportation and maritime commerce, charged with operating and marketing the marine terminal facilities through which the shipping trade takes place. The agency owns four general cargo terminals-Norfolk International Terminals, Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Newport News Marine Terminal, and the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal-which are operated by its affiliate, Virginia International Terminals, Inc.

Virginia's strategic mid-Atlantic location and unparalleled transportation infrastructure offer steamship lines and shippers unbeatable access to two-thirds of the U.S. population with more than 75 international shipping lines and one of the most frequent direct sailing schedules of any port. Virginia has the best natural deepwater harbor on the U.S. East Coast. Fifty-foot-deep, unobstructed channels provide easy access and maneuvering room for the largest of today's container ships. Virginia ports are located just 18 miles from the open sea on a year-round, ice-free harbor. Virginia ports have long maintained a reputation for efficient and uncongested intermodal service.

The bottom line is in the numbers: The Port of Virginia transports more intermodal containers to more cities faster and more efficiently than any other port in the United States. As the largest intermodal facility on the U.S. East Coast, Virginia offers six direct-service trains to 28 major cities each day. More than 50 motor-carrier companies offer full freight-handling and load-consolidation services. A modern network of interstate and local highways permits fast, direct inland motor-freight transportation to any point in the United States.