The 16th California Maritime Leadership Symposium (CMLS) took place in Sacramento on February 15th and 16th. The bi-annual conference focused on all modes of California’s maritime transportation system – ports, vessels, highway and rail – and the intricacies, challenges and realities of maintaining and growing a viable, healthy and dynamic maritime economy in the 21st century.
Organized under the themes of Governor Brown’s Executive Order B-32-15, the CMLS program highlighted the needs to increase efficiencies, transition to zero emission technologies, and increase competitiveness, all while attaining to the world’s strictest environmental quality standards. Thank you to those of you who helped make CMLS another great success.
Many stakeholders participated in this year’s CMLS as both speakers and audience members, including Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) and Assembly Members Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) and Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Buena Park), who contributed by providing insight on the significance of the maritime industry within their districts, its impact on California, and the United States. Will Kempton, the now retired Executive Director of Transportation California and former Executive Director of the California Transportation Commission received the CMLS Honoree of Merit Award. The family of the late Bill Lyte, who served the maritime industry in both the public and private sector for many years, accepted the Gary L. Gregory Lifetime Achievement Award and provided remarks on his behalf.
The two days during which CMLS took place were filled with thought provoking discussions by panels which included port representatives, private sector freight moving entities, beneficial cargo owners, representatives of the labor force, truckers, utilities, academics, as well as health and environmental justice groups.
Along with educational value, the CMLS provided extensive networking opportunities as the recurring theme of the event was collaboration. CMLS highlighted the need for working together as panelists and speakers called for industry cooperation in order to move California’s freight sector in the desired direction.
Please visit www.maritimesymposium.com for additional details on this year’s CMLS, and for additional information on the next maritime symposium set to take place in 2019.