b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTFall is the Region Meeting Season congested waterways and illegal charters. Finally, each region will have participation If youve checked your PVA calendar latelyfrom local Coast Guard leadership who will then you know that autumn is the time fordiscuss their specific priorities and concerns.our PVA Region Meetings. Registration isJust as important as the formal sessions currently open and if you have never hadare the networking events. Each region the opportunity to attend a region meeting,meeting will have a welcome reception I highly encourage you to do so. You canthe night before the meeting and plenty of think of these meetings as mini conventionsBob Lawler time built in for you to meet and exchange with informational sessions that are gearedideas with your fellow operators, associate towards membersmembers, and PVA from your area asstaff. Clearly, you get well as presenta- a lot of bang for your tions on topics thatbuck from these value-impact the entire PVApriced events held in community. This year,venues close to your four of our regions areoperation. holding their meetingsP VA R e g i o n in late October, soMeetings are also a there is still time toperfect time to sign register and attend.up to join a PVA The Great Lakescommittee. None Meeting is Octoberof the work that 23-25 at the HotelPVA accomplish-Chicago in Chicago,es could be done IL, the Western Regionwithout volunteer Meeting is OctoberMcCormick Place Aerials Credit: Rob Sall. Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago. committee members 28-30 at the Hyattfrom our Safety and Regency Lake Tahoe,Security, Regulatory, in Incline Village, CA,Legislative, and the Original ColoniesM e m b e r s h i p Meeting is NovemberCommittees. These 4-6 in Alexandria, VA,s m a l l t e a m s o f and the Rivers Meetingd e d i c a t e d P VA is in Newport, KY onmembers take up November 14-15 to beissues and collaborate hosted by long-timethroughout the year PVAmemberBBfor the betterment of Riverboats.the association. If you E a c h r e g i o nhave ideas and are meeting will have aable to donate some variety of topics soof your time, we will there will be somethingBelle of Cincinnati, Photo credit: BB Riverboats. gladly find room for for everyone. We haveyou. business focused sessions covering social media toolsI will be attending the Great Lakes and the Original and strategies, the impact of new federal and stateColonies meetings this year and I look forward to seeing minimum wage laws and how to hire and leverageyou there.co-op and internship candidates from U.S. maritime academies. There are safety sessions that discuss lessonsSincerely,learned from three recent vessel firesthe Island Queen, the Tahoe Queen and Caribbean Fantasyalong with a dis-cussion on new portable fire extinguisher requirements and how to plan and carry out active shooter drills. WeBob Lawler will also have sessions on two of PVAs ongoing projects,President n4OCTOBER 2019FOGHORN'