b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTAT THE HELM Change is Part of the PVA CultureJIM SWINDLER // PRESIDENTI ts hard to believe that almost a year has passed sincethat we might need some help in. Again, like a family, I became president of the Passenger Vessel Associ- itsanopportunitytomeetnewfamilymembersand ation (PVA). By the time this appears in the latestget to know them. Each year it seems like the member-edition of the January/February issue of FOGHORN,ship is getting more diverse as well as younger, of course MariTrends 2024 will be well underway and well havethe younger part could simply be many of us are just a new president, Patrick Murphy of Blue and Gold Fleet.getting older?I must admit that 30 years ago when I first started to attend the PVA annual convention (now known as Mar- Like a family, we have our squabbles, we have our dif-iTrends) and an occasional PVA region meeting, while Iferences, but we listen intently to one another. And it valued the information atdoesnt matter about your the sessions, I dont haveage or how long you have alotofvividmemories It doesnt matter about yourbeenamemberorhow from those early years. Asmany boats you operate or I began to write this arti- age or how long you have been awho you know. PVA is an cle, I got stuck right heremember or how many boats youorganizationfoundedby in the present and didntoperate or who you know. and governed by the mem-understand why. bers. PVA is an organiza-PVA is an organization foundedtionthathasundergone Ittookawhile,butIfi- by and governed by the members.alotofchangeoverthe nallyfigureditout.Theyears and has embraced it.reason I dont have manyPVA is an organization that has memoriesofthattimeisundergone a lot of change overAn example of this can be simple. PVA today is notfoundintheDecember thesameorganizationitthe years and has embraced it. 2019editionofFOG-was30yearsago.QuiteHORNmagazine.Anar-frankly, even the name isticle entitled The Chang-different today. The atmosphere today is definitely differ- ingFaceofPVA.ThearticlewaswrittenbyZackery ent; clearly more welcoming, inclusive, respectful, and notReed, then a recent graduate of Mass Maritime Academy to mention much younger. and new PVA staff member. I remember when Zack first came to PVA as an intern, just a young fella with all sorts Today, I view PVA as a big family. A family that gets alongof enthusiasm and ideas, who was eager to learn and get very well and supports one another. This includes staff asto know members. He then became a PVA staff-member. well. Im sure some of it has to do with the technologyWhile his article focuses on youth and emerging leaders, available to us today (weekly newsletters and other cor- it also respectfully acknowledges those who have led the respondence from staff). But regardless of technology, Iindustry and this organization to what it is today. Zack view the region meetings and conventions in the samewrote, The face of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) vein asholidays with family. They are times to comeis changing. The next generation of mariners is rising to together, talk about what weve been doing, what wevefill the great shoes of those who have led the industry to learned, and what we can learn from each other and areaswhat it is today.Continued on page 41FOGHORN 4'