Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40MARCH 2017 • FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater topics of immediate importance to their busi- nesses. If you attended or exhibited at the con- vention this year, I hope that you benefited as a result. We look forward to seeing you, and others, at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018, January 28-31 in Savannah, GA. 2016 Membership Ranks Continue to Grow Membership is what makes PVA strong. A diversity of operators with varying interests along with the solid participation of vendors and suppliers from throughout our Nation combine to form an organization that works to meet the needs of all. In 2016, the PVA Membership Committee and staff, through focused marketing outreach, added 56 companies to PVA’s membership rolls. This is a signifi- cant number of new members and is not only a testament to the good work that the committee is doing in attracting new members, but it also underscores the far-reaching benefits associated with PVA membership. An astounding 151 new member companies have joined PVA over the last three years. I am optimistic that this very positive trend will continue as we work to represent the interests of passenger vessel operators na- tionwide. PVA Congressional Fly-In—April 25, 2017 Plans are underway for another excellent PVA Congressional Fly-In thisApril in Washington DC.As you may know, this important annual event brings together a wide variety of PVA members from throughout the country who spend a busy day on Capitol Hill visiting Members of Congress and Congressional and Committee staff members. Each of these meetings is intended to bring focus to the key issues of importance to PVA members. If you have never participated in a PVACongressional Fly-in, I encourage you to attend this year. I assure you that you will find it to be a worthwhile experience. If you have taken part a previous PVA Congressional Fly-In, please once again join us. Together, we can work to advance our association’s legislative goals. I look forward to seeing you in April in Washington D.C. In the meantime, I hope that you will let me know whenever we can be of assistance you. Sincerely, John R. Groundwater Executive Director n PVA Leadership for 2017 and Beyond During the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 in Seattle, PVA members elected a new slate of officers and members of the PVA Board of Directors. Jeff Whitaker of Hudson River Cruises and Events, Kingston, NY is PVA President for 2017. Jeff Whitaker is the Vessel Operations Consultant for Hudson River Cruises and Events. Kingston, NY.  The company provides sightseeing, dinner and charter cruises on the Hudson River. PVA members also elected as PVA Vice President Gus Gaspardo, President of the Padelford Packet Boat Co. Inc., St. Paul, MN. His company was a founding member of PVA in 1971 and has been an active member in the Association ever since. And, Bob Lawler, Vice President of Marine Operations, Entertainment Cruises, Boston, MA was elected PVA Secretary-Treasurer. Entertainment Cruises is the nation’s largest dining cruise company, with 38 vessels serving over 1.8 million guests annually. In addition, the following PVA members were elected to serve as new, or continuing members, of the PVABoard of Directors: • Richard Davison, Paradise Cruise, Ltd., Honolulu, HI • Hoyt Purinton, Washington Island Ferry Line, Washington Island, WI Each of these individuals will contribute their knowledge, energy and expertise to help shape and guide PVA in the months and years ahead. A Very Successful PVA Convention in Seattle As you know, success can be measured in a variety of ways. With conventions, it is very often the number of attendees that is the first determiner of success. Sometimes it is the weather or the attractiveness of the convention location. In other cases it is the size of the exhibit floor and the satisfaction of exhibitors with the quality of attendees or with the level of business or sales that occur. Those of you who participated in the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017 in Seattle know that all of these criteria came together to form a very success- ful convention from all vantage points. And, you played an important role in breaking all previous convention records. Both attendance and exhibitors set all-time highs for this annual PVA gathering; and, as a result, raised the bar to a new level for future years. Comments from attendees have heaped praise on the convention for providing a comprehensive program that touched upon a wide variety of topics of particular importance to passenger vessel operators. Everything from marketing and sales; to marine operations; to government regulation and more was featured so con- vention attendees could gain exposure to a wide range of