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MARCH 2016 FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater A Great Start to the New Year Last month President Obama signed into law the Coast GuardAuthorizationAct of 2015.As you know this legislation contained the long- sought after amendment which supersedes the previous law mandating one-size-fits-all survival craft for passenger vessel operators. This important victory was the culmination of many years of focused advocacy work by PVA members staff and aligned organizations. Clearly PVAs highest legislative priority this result will save the passenger vessel industry hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenditures. Throughout this process PVAmembers were incredibly supportive. They sent numerous letters to their Members of Congress urging passage of this amendment. They par- ticipated heartily in the PVACongressional Fly-In to ensure that lawmakers and their staff were aware of the facts and the corresponding need for a change in the law. San Francisco operators rallied behind the cause and hosted a meeting with Congressman John Garamendi D-3rd-CA to urge his supportwhich he did. With the encourage- ment of PVA Board member Rich Davison of Honolulu Cruises and Events virtually every PVA vessel member in Hawaii contacted their senators. PVA staff also worked closely with aligned organiza- tions such as the SportfishingAssociation of California and the National Association of Charterboat Operators on this issue to help coordinate communications and maximize impact. Our combined organizations represented thousands of U.S-flagged vessels which would have been negatively affected without immediate change in the law. Throughout this effort PVA has consistently held that the passenger vessel industrys safety record supports the risk-based approach which has been successfully managed by the Coast Guard instead of the one-size-fits-all approach to lifesaving required by Congress in 2010. PVA has also made it clear that out-of-water survival craft is ap- propriate in certain conditions as determined solely by the Coast Guard. Also last month the Coast Guard issued a notice of cancellation for its Policy Letter 15-05 which offered guidance on complying with the 2010 law and stressed that passenger vessel operators may continue to use their existing in-water survival craft as normal. Special thanks must go out to all PVA members who supported this important association activity. A Successful PVA Annual Convention in Washington D.C. Despite a crippling snow storm in Washington D.C. hundreds of PVAmembers gathered for a highly successful PVAAnnual Convention at MariTrends 2016. PVA members benefited from thought- provoking keynote addresses and a strong convention program. This years General Session keynote speakers included Jeanne Grasso Blank Rome Washington DC who kicked off the convention with an interest- ing look at the current politics of Washington while also exploring several issues important to the maritime industry. Rear Admiral Paul Thomas praised PVA members for their strong safety record and pledged to emphasize risk-based decision making in the Coast Guards dealings with industry. Industry expert Bob Shaw conducted a thought- provoking hands-on workshop on Customer Service that kept attendees on the edge of their seats and National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart discussed his priorities for this agency. The MariTrends 2016 exhibit hall was indeed the gathering place for the convention and boasted a full-range of products specifically for passenger vessel operators. A wide range of sessions were held on the exhibit hall including Lunch and Learn roundtable sessions held during the exhibit hall lunch. In addition to the many seminars well-attended mini- conferences were also held. They included the PVA Ferry Conference which explored pressing issues concerning the operation of ferries a brand new PVASales and Marketing Conference which was standing room only the highly popular Green WATERS Conference and the PVA New Technologies Conference which explored exciting reduced and zero emissions propulsion technologies. Special thanks must go to Potomac Riverboat Company for arranging a spectacular Leadership Dinner and private candlelight tour of George Washingtons Mount Vernon. 2015 Membership Successes I am proud to announce that PVA added 50 new companies to its membership ranks in 2015. The excellent work of the PVA Membership Committee and an aggres- sive marketing program touting the many benefits of PVA membership were responsible for this excellent accom- plishment. We look forward to an even stronger year in 2016. In the meantime please me know whenever we can be of assistance to you. Sincerely John R. Groundwater Executive Director n