b'LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORReflecting on 2023, AT THE HELMLooking Ahead to 2024JOHN GROUNDWATER // EXECUTIVE DIRECTORH appy New Year from all of us at the PassengerFisheriesoftheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.Richard Vessel Association. We are enthusiastic about thewas also a personal aide to Committee Chairman Walter B. prospects for the coming year and we are lookingJones. We look forward to having Richard on PVAs expert forward to serving the interests of PVA members in thestaff and to his many future contributions to PVA and its months ahead. members. Ed Welch is still engagedwithPVAbutin Whileweareacutelyfo- Dinner boat and charteran emeritus role. He is now cusedonthefuture,wePVAs senior legislative ad-are pleased with the prog- operators pointed towardsvisor, and we are fortunate ress made on a variety ofincreasing corporate andtobeabletocontinueto significant fronts in 2023.tapintohisconsiderable PVAmemberpassengergroup bookings, and the ferrygovernmentandmaritime vesseloperatorsreportedindustry has pointed to growingexperiencetosupportour excellentbusinesscondi- commuter traffic. This isongoingadvocacyefforts. tionsinmostdomesticHavingbothRichardand marketslastyear.Manyfantastic news across the boardEdonboardgivesPVA operatorsindicatedthatfor PVA vessel members. substantialbenchstrength their2023operatingin its government relations seasonssurpassed2019activities and influence. pre-COVID levels. In ad-dition, dinner boat and charter operators pointed towardsPVAS CONGRESSIONAL FLY-INincreasing corporate and group bookings, and the ferryA COMPLETE SUCCESSindustry has pointed to growing commuter traffic. ThisAfteramulti-yearinterruptionbroughtonbythe is fantastic news across the board for PVA vessel membersCOVID-19 pandemic, PVAs Congressional Fly-In made a and we are hopeful for continuing good news in 2024.successful comeback on Nov. 14, 2023. PVA staff sched-uled numerous meetings on Capitol Hill with members of PVAS NEW LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR Congress, their staff, and committee staff and this was a In 2023, PVA was delighted to welcome Richard Patch,tremendous opportunity for PVA members to participate PVAs new legislative director to the PVA staff. Richardonce again first-hand in the legislative process and contrib-came to PVA with significant Congressional lobbying expe- ute directly to PVAs advocacy efforts. We plan to schedule rience. He was most recently vice president, Federal Affairsanother Congressional Fly-In in 2024.for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) where he led a team of lobbyists andPVA ANNUAL CONVENTION ATgovernment relations professionals. While there he was in- MARITRENDS 2024 HIGHLIGHTSvolved in setting federal legislative and regulatory goals forThis January/February 2024 issue of FOGHORN will be the organization and oversaw implementation of the organi- distributed electronically during the PVA Annual Conven-zations strategic vision for federal policy. Early in his careertion at MariTrends 2024 in Portland, Ore., Jan. 27-30, at Richard also worked with PVAs Ed Welch when both werethe Hyatt Regency Portland and the Portland Convention staff members on the Committee on Merchant Marine andCenter. MariTrends 2024 will kick off the year in grand Continued on page 437 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024'