Keynote Speakers
Description
Kellyanne Conway served as Campaign Manager of the come-from-behind victory of Trump-Pence 2016, making her the first woman in U.S. history to successfully helm a presidential campaign. For nearly four years, Kellyanne served as Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor to the President at the White House, working on a range of issues affecting domestic and global policy.
Description
Jennifer L. Homendy is the 15th Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in other modes of transportation, including rail, transit, roadway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space.
Description
Louis E. Sola was designated Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025. He was originally nominated to the Commission by President Trump on November 15, 2018, to a term expiring on June 30, 2023. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on January 2, 2019, and he was sworn into office on January 23, 2019. Chairman Sola was a 2018 candidate for Florida’s 24th Congressional District in his hometown of Miami, Florida.
Featured Speakers
Description
Jonathan Gold is vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. In this role, Gold is a primary spokesperson and is responsible for representing the retail industry before Congress and the administration on supply chain, international trade, product safety and customs-related issues impacting the retail industry. While with NRF, he has been a leading advocate of the value of trade and global value chains to the U.S. economy.
Prior to joining NRF, Gold served as a policy analyst in the Office of Policy and Planning for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He joined CBP in May 2006 and was responsible for providing policy guidance on issues surrounding maritime cargo security and trade-related matters. Gold also worked on implementation issues surrounding the SAFE Port Act and other issues within the agency including CBP intelligence reform, pandemic flu and trade facilitation.
Before joining CBP, Gold spent nearly a decade with the Retail Industry Leaders Association holding several government relations positions including director and then vice president of international trade policy before being named vice president of global supply chain policy in January 2005.
Gold has served on several government advisory committees including the Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, the Department of Homeland Security’s Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) and on the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Advisory Committee on Distribution Services.
Gold graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in international business with a concentration in finance.
Description
David Libatique is the Deputy Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement for the Port of Los Angeles, a position that oversees and manages all communications on behalf of America’s Port® via the Community Relations, Media Relations, Government Affairs, Trade Development, and Labor Relations and Workforce Development Divisions.
Libatique works with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, organized labor, beneficial cargo owners, terminal operators, international customers, shipping and cruise lines, railroads, trucking industry, media, and regulatory agencies to advance the Port’s goals and initiatives. He interacts on a broader scale with an array of local, regional, statewide, and national elected officials and stakeholders.
Libatique first joined the Port in January 2011 as Senior Director of Government Affairs, where he led the Port’s intergovernmental advocacy at a critical time of increasing engagement with local, regional, state, federal, and even transnational and international levels of government.
Prior to joining the Port, Libatique served as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Director of Energy Policy, where he was responsible for advancing the Mayor’s environmental policies at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Before assuming that role, he served as the Mayor’s Senior Policy Analyst and acted as a liaison with the Port of Los Angeles, where he advanced priority initiatives, including the Clean Air Action Plan and Clean Truck Program.
Libatique holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Description
Dr. Noel Hacegaba is the Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Long Beach, North America’s second-busiest container port. He is responsible for managing the Port’s day-to-day operations, including commercial operations, finance and administration, human resources, engineering services, planning and environmental affairs and strategic advocacy.
In recent years, Dr. Hacegaba led the Port’s response to the pandemic-induced supply chain crisis, directing the Port’s Business Recovery Taskforce and coordinating with industry, labor and government partners to identify near-term solutions.
Dr. Hacegaba is also leading the development of the Port’s digital initiative known as the Supply Chain Information Highway to enable data sharing and end-to-end visibility across the supply chain.
In total, Dr. Hacegaba has more than 26 years of public and private sector experience spanning a variety of industries. Prior to joining the Port, he managed $200 million in contracts for a Fortune 500 company.
Dr. Hacegaba is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned degrees in economics, business administration and urban planning. He earned his doctorate in public administration from the University of La Verne. Dr. Hacegaba is also a Certified Port Executive and earned the Port Professional Executive and Port Professional Manager designations from the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).
Dr. Hacegaba is the Chairman of the World Trade Week Committee, Chairman of the AAPA Professional Development Board, Vice Chairman of the USC Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, Treasurer of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Intermodal Association of North America, Marine Exchange of Southern California, University of Denver Transportation and Supply Chain Institute and the Los Angeles/Long Beach Propeller Club.
Description
Based in Washington, D.C., John specializes in regulation and legislation affecting all sectors of freight transportation. He has covered rail, trucking and maritime issues since 1993 for a variety of publications based in the U.S. and the U.K. John began business reporting in 1993 at Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. He graduated from Florida State University majoring in English and business.
Description
Dan Ronan is the Managing Producer/Senior Reporter for Transport Topics, the leading online and print publication covering the trucking, freight, and logistics industry. Ronan’s specialty is business and financial reporting. He hosts two multi-media programs for TTNews.com, Transport Topics Radio on SiriusXM Channel 146, heard four times every weekend. He is also a part-time anchor and backup host for Road Dog Trucking News, Road Dog Live, and the Dave Nemo Show. Ronan is the anchor for Transport Topics’ “Newsmakers,” a monthly, web-based conversation with leading officials in the transportation industry. While at TTNews.com, he has been recognized with several business-to-business AZBEE awards for his financial reporting of the transportation industry. In September 2022, Ronan joined Washington, D.C., 24/7, all-news powerhouse WTOP-FM as a part-time anchor and business reporter.
A native of Chicago, Ronan has been a journalist since the mid-1970s, starting professionally while in high school. Immediately after college, he joined the former Mutual Broadcasting System as an editor.
During his career, Ronan has been awarded eight Emmy Awards and two Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism excellence. He has traveled to the Iraq/Kuwait border with the U.S. Army, reported from an earthquake zone along the India-Pakistan border, the Oval Office, Camp David, Maryland, and twice aboard a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft as it flew into the eye of two separate category five hurricanes, Ivan, and Rita. Ronan was a network correspondent with CNN and CBS NewsPath (freelance) and reported for leading stations in Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Atlanta, WJLA, WFAA, and WAGA.
Ronan worked for nine years in public relations, rising to the position of Vice President of Strategic Communications at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America in Washington, D.C. During that time, he established himself as one of the transportation industry’s experts on crisis communications.
For nine years, Ronan served on the Board of Directors of Snowball Express, a 501©3 that is “Serving the Children of Our Fallen Military Heroes,” raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind donations for the non-profit, which is now a program within the Gary Sinise Foundation. As a young boy, Ronan was sexually assaulted by a Catholic Priest, and his case is in the 2023 Illinois Attorney General’s report. Ronan is now speaking out and is active in numerous areas to help assault survivors heal.
Ronan’s bachelor’s degree in journalism is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a master’s degree from Kent State University, where he serves on the journalism school’s Professional Advisory Board. Ronan is a licensed commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings. He also earned two certificates in Aviation Accident Investigation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Ronan graduated from the Joe Brinkman Umpire School and was an NCAA baseball umpire and small college basketball referee for several years.
Description
With decades of maritime industry experience, Charles Tillotson has served as the Port of Plaquemines Executive Director for two years. Mr. Tillotson brings extensive leadership experience in port business development and operations. His expertise includes handling vessels carrying liquid bulk, dry bulk, containers, breakbulk, military explosives, hazardous materials, and RoRo across over forty-five marine terminals in the U.S. and Asia. Mr. Tillotson’s previous positions include Chief Commercial Officer for SeaPort Manatee; Senior Vice President for Carver Maritime in Manatee, Florida; Chief Commercial Officer for Diversified Port Holdings in Jacksonville, Florida; Director of Business Development for Metro Ports in Galveston, Texas; and Vice President of Military Business Development for Ports America/Marine Terminals Corp at multiple ports. Mr. Tillotson holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in business management from St. Mary’s College of California. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Army Management Staff College and earned a Global Logistics Specialist certification from the California Maritime Academy. As a U.S. Navy veteran, Mr. Tillotson served 10 years of active and reserve duty before his discharge in 1992. His civil service experience includes positions as a Marine Cargo Specialist for the U.S. Naval Weapons Station in Concord, California, and as Chief of Breakbulk Cargo at the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command in Oakland, California. Additionally, he worked in operations in Southeast and Southwest Asia.
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WILLIAM H. HANSON is the Senior Vice President – Market Development. A 44 year veteran of the dredging and maritime construction industry, Bill Hanson has been with GLDD for 34 years and a Vice President since 2004. In 2013, he opened GLDD’s first office in Washington DC. Mr. Hanson began his career with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Galveston and Los Angeles, and then worked for Connolly Pacific of Long Beach, California before joining GLDD in 1988. At GLDD, he served in management roles in the North Atlantic and Southern Divisions as well as managing Latin America for 12 years. Mr. Hanson serves on several Federal Advisory committees as well as on boards of groups with national and regional interest to GLDD, and several academic advisory boards related to ocean and coastal engineering. Mr. Hanson is a 1979 Ocean Engineering graduate of Texas A&M, where he was named a distinguished alumni in 2013.
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Phyllis Saathoff is an accomplished executive with 25 years of service in the port industry. With a strong accounting and finance background combined with her operational leadership, Phyllis brings a proven track record to Port Freeport. Saathoff began her maritime career at Port Freeport in 1992. She served as Managing Director, and then in April 2012, became the Interim Executive Port Director/CEO before joining the Port of Houston Authority in October 2012. Saathoff served in various capacities during her tenure at the Port of Houston Authority including, Chief People Officer and Deputy Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, she was responsible for public affairs, strategic planning, channel development, freight mobility and environmental affairs. Saathoff returned to Port Freeport in April 2016 as the Chief Executive Officer. During her prior tenure at Port Freeport, Saathoff was successful in obtaining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to deepen the Freeport Harbor Channel to 55 feet, and in financing and initiating the development of the Port’s first container terminal. Saathoff received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for 21 consecutive years
Description
Sue Forrester is the Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the American Gas Association (AGA) where she manages advocacy campaigns and public affairs. Her efforts at AGA focus on crafting and implementing public affairs strategies in support of natural gas as well as building and maintaining a nationwide network of grassroots and grasstops advocates and influencers.
Prior to joining AGA, Sue was the managing director of advocacy and outreach at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute.
Before joining the Chamber, Forrester was vice president of issue advocacy at the National Association of Manufacturers. There she liaised with members from one of the largest trade associations in the country on significant policy issues like affordable domestic energy and workplace fairness initiatives.
From 2007 to 2009, Forrester was the Midwest regional political director at the Republican National Committee (RNC). Her responsibilities included directing strategic political activities in eight top-tier states. She also served in another role with the RNC from 2004 to 2005. During that time, she led the party’s multimillion-dollar national Victory budget, a program that funded political activity for 17 presidential target states.
Earlier in her career, Forrester held senior-level positions leading the political affairs team with the Associated Builders and Contractors, managing clients for the voter contact firm FLS, and advising an array of political campaigns.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Forrester received her undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and spends her free time coaching girls lacrosse.
Description
Lacy Edwards is the Port Security Manager for the Port of Stockton Police Department. With over eighteen years of experience in the maritime industry, she has excelled in various positions from operational management to security analysis.
In her current role as the Port Security Manager, Lacy is pivotal in creating and implementing new security protocols and analyzing and updating existing security procedures. Additionally, she is well versed in policy development, operational processes, and acting as a liaison with federal, state, and local partners. Lacy is highly motivated and has a passion for the maritime industry, homeland security, and law enforcement.
Lacy holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and Security from the University of Phoenix as well as numerous professional certifications, including Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), Intelligence Analysis, and Emergency Management.
Description
Larry Kelley serves as Port Director and CEO for the Port of Port Arthur in Port Arthur, Texas. Larry is actively engaged in port growth while focusing on local jobs and economic development at a modern maritime transportation facility. His career to date involves many aspects of the transportation industry including marine, rail, trucking, pipeline, aviation and facility operations. Beyond transportation operations, he is actively engaged in State and Federal transportation policy and planning. Prior to joining the port, he oversaw Texas operations and management of a large third-party logistics company. Occupationally he is a Certified Logistics Professional, CLP and an AAPA Professional Port Executive, PPX.
Over the years, Larry has served on various state, national and international industry trade boards in a range of leadership capacities. Currently he serves as a board member for the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center, Southeast Texas Economic Development Foundation, Regional Economic Development Initiative and Lamar University Center for the Advancement in Port Management and VP for the Texas Ports Association. He is in a mentor role in the American Association of Port Authorities, AAPA Port Professional Manager development program.
Larry has undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees from Lamar University. He earned a Business with an Industrial Engineering concentration, 1989; and a Master of Public Administration, 1994. For continued professional development he is the first graduate of the Master of Science program in Port and Terminal Management, in Lamar University’s Department of Engineering, 2019.
As an aviation pilot, Larry holds advanced professional pilot, instructor, and mechanic ratings. He is an active pilot and involved in an aircraft restoration project and volunteers in the Experimental Aviation Association – Young Eagles program.
Description
Dave is a northeast Ohio native and has more than 30 years of experience in transportation and logistics, including senior level operations and business development positions in trucking, intermodal, and third-party logistics. He joined the Port as Vice-President of Maritime & Logistics in 2010, was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in 2018, and was then named Interim President & CEO effective January 1, 2025. His previous responsibilities have included strategic management of all aspects of the maritime functions at the Port, including business development and operations. He sits on various maritime and logistics committees and boards focusing on marketing and business development in the cargo industry. He graduated from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH with a BA in Economics. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown children and have been residents of northeast Ohio since 2001.
Description
James is a leading expert in developing consortia and public-private partnership projects for deep decarbonization of the transportation sector with over nine years’ experience designing flagship advanced energy and clean transportation technology development and demonstration projects, multinational public-private partnerships, and grant proposals awarded more than $1 billion in discretionary grant funds. In his current role as Grants Director, he has responsibility for developing and implementing Crowley’s grants and incentives strategy, advancing public-private partnerships and consortia, and coordinating with agency, regulatory, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on decarbonization efforts. Prior to joining Crowley in March of 2023, James served as the Director of Ports and Fleets at Momentum and The Grant Farm in Sacramento, CA. James studied Global Studies and Maritime Affairs at CSU Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA, and obtained a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, LA, where he specialized in admiralty, maritime, and environmental law.
Description
Deb DeLuca is the executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, and proudly embraces its mission of bringing business to the port, economic development to the region, and advocating for maritime transportation, freight and industry. The Port Authority operates in the Port of Duluth-Superior, the largest port in the Great Lakes by tonnage, and amongst the top 20 in the nation. She is the first woman to lead the organization in its history.
DeLuca has been involved in maritime, freight, and Great Lakes policy initiatives at the local, state and federal level in various roles including president of the Minnesota Ports Association, treasurer of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, chair of the Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee, and executive committee member of APEX, a regional economic and business development organization. She serves on the boards of the American Association of Port Authorities, Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, Green Marine and the Chamber of Marine Commerce and as an alternate Minnesota commissioner to the Great Lakes Commission. She also serves on the advisory committees for Minnesota Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant, and the University of Wisconsin-Superior Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program.
Deb formerly served as Government and Environmental Affairs Director for the Port Authority and as a principal of DeLuca Strategies for 14 years prior to joining the Port Authority. A Wisconsin native, she holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University Wisconsin-Madison. She and her husband live, and raised their two children, in Duluth.
Description
Dan Ronan is the Managing Producer/Senior Reporter for Transport Topics, the leading online and print publication covering the trucking, freight, and logistics industry. Ronan’s specialty is business and financial reporting. He hosts two multi-media programs for TTNews.com, Transport Topics Radio on SiriusXM Channel 146, heard four times every weekend. He is also a part-time anchor and backup host for Road Dog Trucking News, Road Dog Live, and the Dave Nemo Show. Ronan is the anchor for Transport Topics’ “Newsmakers,” a monthly, web-based conversation with leading officials in the transportation industry. While at TTNews.com, he has been recognized with several business-to-business AZBEE awards for his financial reporting of the transportation industry.
In September 2022, Ronan joined Washington, D.C., 24/7, all-news powerhouse WTOP-FM as a part-time anchor and business reporter.
A native of Chicago, Ronan has been a journalist since the mid-1970s, starting professionally while in high school. Immediately after college, he joined the former Mutual Broadcasting System as an editor.
During his career, Ronan has been awarded eight Emmy Awards and two Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism excellence. He has traveled to the Iraq/Kuwait border with the U.S. Army, reported from an earthquake zone along the India-Pakistan border, the Oval Office, Camp David, Maryland, and twice aboard a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft as it flew into the eye of two separate category five hurricanes, Ivan, and Rita. Ronan was a network correspondent with CNN and CBS NewsPath (freelance) and reported for leading stations in Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Atlanta, WJLA, WFAA, and WAGA.
Ronan worked for nine years in public relations, rising to the position of Vice President of Strategic Communications at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America in Washington, D.C. During that time, he established himself as one of the transportation industry’s experts on crisis communications.
For nine years, Ronan served on the Board of Directors of Snowball Express, a 501©3 that is “Serving the Children of Our Fallen Military Heroes,” raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind donations for the non-profit, which is now a program within the Gary Sinise Foundation.
As a young boy, Ronan was sexually assaulted by a Catholic Priest, and his case is in the 2023 Illinois Attorney General’s report. Ronan is now speaking out and is active in numerous areas to help assault survivors heal.
Ronan’s bachelor’s degree in journalism is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a master’s degree from Kent State University, where he serves on the journalism school’s Professional Advisory Board. Ronan is a licensed commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings. He also earned two certificates in Aviation Accident Investigation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Ronan graduated from the Joe Brinkman Umpire School and was an NCAA baseball umpire and small college basketball referee for several years.
Description
Noël Fletcher is a career journalist and award-winning author in Washington, D.C. She covers government policy at Transport Topics and also writes for Forbes. She earned a B.A. in journalism from San Francisco State University and completed all Master's coursework at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. She started her journalism career in California and moved to Hong Kong where she covered the High Court for the HongKong Standard newspaper. Then she became a foreign correspondent for The Journal of Commerce, America's oldest daily business paper, and travelled throughout Asia before posted to Beijing as China Correspondent where she learned to speak Mandarin. Noël is a founding member of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China and has written extensively for newspapers, magazines and wire services. In 2017, she briefly acted as Berlin bureau chief and wrote for The Times (London) prior to returning to the U.S. to cover business and government in D.C. She is the author of several books, two have won awards by the National Federation of Press Women. She is an active member of the National Press Club, the National Federation of Press Women and a Santa Fe Trail Association chapter. Noël is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (through a Quaker Patriot and founder of New Jersey) and serves as Regent of the oldest DC DAR Chapter. Currently, she is completing a World War II book about journalists. Her latest book is “Reporting the Nuremberg Trials: How Journalists Covered Live Nazi Trials and Executions.”
Description
Alex Marston is the Democratic Staff Director of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. In his position, he advises Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson and Committee Democrats on all issues related to the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the transportation and maritime sectors. His efforts have been instrumental to the passage of several bills, including the TSA Modernization Act, as well as to the provision of fair pay and labor rights for the TSA workforce. Prior to joining the Committee in 2017, he spent seven years at the TSA, most recently as acting Legislative Director. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and lives in Burke, Virginia, with his wife and two kids.
Description
Katharine Ehly is the Senior Policy Advisor for the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) and Center for Liquified Natural Gas (CLNG). A recognized authority and sough-out expert, Katharine advises CLNG and NGSA member companies, regulators, legislators and key
stakeholders on strategy, policy positions and regulatory issues impacting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas producers, marketers and shippers.
Katharine plays a leading role in NGSA and CLNG’s climate and environmental work. She led the CLNG membership in crafting CLNG’s Methane Principles and works with members on efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Among the comments she has filed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are extensive comments advocating for balanced policies that seriously consider environmental impacts while still enabling the development of needed natural gas infrastructure. She also successfully advocated for modernized risk based LNG safety regulation in the U.S. Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reauthorization legislation, as well as improved pipeline and infrastructure permitting.
Before joining NGSA, Katharine spent nearly a decade in the natural gas and oil industry as a Policy Advisor in the American Petroleum Institute’s Market Development Group and Director of Policy and Research Analysis at American’s Natural Gas Alliance. Katharine holds a Master of Arts from American University in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College in Political Science with minors in English and History.
Description
Adam serves as the Chief Information Security Officer at Boldyn Networks, where he defines and directs the company’s global security strategy. He has been instrumental in building and leading a comprehensive Global Cyber Security function, successfully integrating six businesses into Boldyn Networks, and enhancing the company's security posture and operational efficiency. Adam oversees the delivery of all security services and operations to global markets, ensuring robust protection for Boldyn's diverse clientele.
Under Adam's strategic leadership, key security elements have been delivered for transformative projects across both government and private sectors, including supporting Sunderland Smart City connectivity, neutral host services for Transport for London (TfL), US Transit MTA and AmTrak, Mobile Private Networks, and managed Wi-Fi to MGM Resorts in Las Vegas. His vision and leadership have been crucial in driving Boldyn's security initiatives forward.
Before joining Boldyn, Adam served as the CISO for Europe’s largest retail network, the Post Office, where he led the cyber function for a £400 million digital transformation program. His extensive experience also includes working with the UK government and the financial sector. Outside of work, Adam enjoys golf, Padel, and is most importantly a Manchester City fan.