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Orange Beach, AL – The Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway Association (WTWA) held its 2025 Annual Meeting May 7–9 at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. Chairman Horace Horn opened the meeting with the introduction of an inspiring video message from Mr. Jimmy Rane, Owner and CEO of Great Southern Wood. Mr. Rane emphasized the enduring importance of patriotism and capitalism in securing the welfare and prosperity of American citizens.
The Association’s membership elected the following new members to the Board of Directors:
- Michael Carpenter, Magnolia Marine Transport
- Jason Colburn, Logistic Services / SSA Marine
- Matthew Lambert, Hunt Refining Company
- Julie Prejean, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa
Returning officers re-elected by the membership included:
- Horace Horn, Vice President–External Affairs, PowerSouth Energy, as Chairman
- David Carroll, retired from Hunt Refining Company, as Vice Chairman
- Tom Leatherbury, Vice President, SSA Marine, as Secretary/Treasurer
- Wynne Fuller as President of the Association
The program opened with remarks from Colonel Jeremy Chapman and his team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District. Following the Colonel’s introduction, Vern Gwin, Chief of the Operations Division, and Anthony Perkins, Operations Manager for the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, reviewed the work completed in 2024. Highlights included critical repairs at Demopolis Lock and temporary measures at Holt Lock. They also outlined the maintenance planned for 2025, including dredging operations and the permanent repair of Holt Lock.
Scott Ellsey, Project Manager for the Holt repair, detailed the contracting strategy and preliminary schedule. He emphasized that commercial navigation would continue during construction, with Holt Lock remaining open on weekends to accommodate transits.
Julie McGuire, Project Manager for the Waterway Improvement Study (focused on deepening the BWT and TTWW systems), provided an update on the study’s progress, thanking members for their support and highlighting data collection challenges ahead.
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U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, under the leadership of Colonel Michael Vega, presented an update on the status of the Warrior-Tombigbee River System. Commander Thomas Gibson, Chief of Prevention, discussed key programs, including:
- Certificate of Inspection renewals
- Subchapter M compliance and equipment updates
- USCG initiatives to address sexual assault and harassment aboard commercial vessels
Lieutenant Larry Schad, Chief of Waterways, reviewed navigation issues, new Coast Guard information systems, and the upcoming transition from the Homeport website to a new secure navigation platform. He also introduced the new USCG policy on drawbridge remote operations and reviewed AWO’s process for reporting bridge issues to the Eighth Coast Guard District’s Bridge Administrator.
The keynote speaker for the opening luncheon was Lieutenant General John R. Vines, who offered insightful remarks on global security threats from China, Russia, and radical elements in the Middle East—and their implications for peace, global trade, and the U.S. economy.
Over the next two days, industry leaders presented critical updates and insights. Thursday featured a packed agenda of current issues:
- Paul Kavinoky, President of the Alabama Mining Association, underscored the importance of the Waterway and reliable infrastructure in meeting the state’s goal of producing and shipping 20 million tons of coal annually by 2030.
- Michael Breslin, Senior Director of Safety and Sustainability for the American Waterways Operators, highlighted the industry’s commitment to safety, citing a significant reduction in accidents resulting in injury or fatalities through structured safety programs.
John Driscoll, Director of the Alabama State Port Authority, described transformative investments at the Port of Mobile, including:
- Over $2 billion in planned capital improvements over the next decade
- Modernization of the McDuffie Coal Terminal
- Completion of the 50-foot channel deepening project by mid-summer
- Expansion of the container terminal (operated with APM Terminals)
- Development of inland terminals in Montgomery and Decatur
Walker Messer, Senior Planner and Economist supporting the Corps’ Latin America programs, addressed water supply challenges facing the Panama Canal. He described how 2023 was the third-driest year on record for the Canal basin, leading to reduced draft capacity and transit limitations.
The highlight of Friday’s presentations was a briefing by Dr. John Martin on the recent Coalition of Alabama Waterways Associations (CAWA) study, which examined the economic impact of Alabama’s inland waterways. Dr. Martin reported:
- Nearly 89,000 jobs are tied to cargo activity on Alabama’s navigable waterways
- Almost 50,000 of those jobs are attributed to the Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway
- The total economic value of waterway cargo activity exceeds $17.8 billion
- When including recreational uses (boating, fishing, camping), total impact exceeds 91,000 jobs and $18 billion
The full report is available at: www.warriortombigbee.com
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Steven Burns, Partner at Balch & Bingham LLP, delivered a highly informative legislative and policy update. He discussed:
- A surge of executive orders, appointments, trade policies, energy directives, and environmental regulatory changes
- Related litigation stemming from shifts in federal policy
- Civil Works Appropriations for FY25, which maintained FY24’s $8.7 billion level under the Continuing Resolution, with earmarks removed
- Notably, the entire USACE Civil Works budget represents only 0.13% of federal spending and 0.46% of the budget deficit
Finally, Wynne Fuller and Horace Horn closed the meeting by announcing that the 2026 Annual Meeting will again be held at the Perdido Beach Resort on May 20-22. Members and guests were encouraged to make plans to attend.
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