Date: September 24-26, 2024 in Newark, NJ

Theme: “Serving Seafarers: First Things First”

Introduction: Seafarers’ welfare organizations have displayed remarkable adaptability in addressing ever-evolving challenges. NAMMA’s upcoming 2024 conference – September 24-26, 2024 – aims to empower these organizations in their mission to serve effectively. Over 100 delegates have already registered from both local and international seafarers’ welfare groups and we extend a welcome to partners within the broader maritime community. Falling on September 26, 2024, World Maritime Day carries the theme “Navigating the Future: Safety First!” A novel perspective emerges when we emphasize the word “First.” This shift encourages profound discussions and presentations, touching upon spiritual and inspirational aspects, preparation, core tenets of maritime ministry, professional growth, recruitment, and vision alignment. Panels and workshops addressing institutional priorities in line with the WMD theme remain pivotal. Exploring what takes precedence, our top priorities, may rejuvenate individuals and organizations who feel stuck in routine and foster innovation.

Conference Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Newark Airport, 128 Frontage Rd, Newark, NJ 07114, USA. Room block closed on 23 August, so the reduced room block rate is no longer available.

Registration: $449 Registration.

Schedule (developing)

• Tuesday 24 September
  • 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Registration Booth Open
  • [1 p.m. – Conference Begins]
  • 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Session 1 – Opening Session
    • Dr. Jason Zuidema (moderator)
    • Dcn. Paul Rosenblum, President, NAMMA and Regional Director, Stella Maris, North America and Caribbean (welcome and presentation of conference theme)
    • The Rev’d Mark Nestlehutt, President and Executive Director, The Seamen’s Church Institute (welcome presentation)
    • Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., D.D., Archbishop of Newark (welcome presentation)
  • 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Coffee Break (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Session 2 – “First Things First”
    • Keynote presenter – Sr. Monica Clare is a nun at the Community of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal religious order based in Mendham, New Jersey. She is the Superior of the convent and will soon be an ordained priest. She is a trained spiritual counselor specializing in religious trauma, mental illness, and addiction. Before becoming a nun in 2012, she worked as a photo editor in Los Angeles and was a member of the Groundlings Sunday Company. She started her TikTok account, @nunsenseforthepeople, in June 2021, to make people laugh and to demystify life as an Episcopal nun. To her great surprise, the popularity of her TikTok channel has continued to grow and she now has over 205K followers and 2.3M likes. Her forthcoming memoir, A Change of Habit, will be soon released by Crown and Sugar23 Books at Penguin Random House.
  • 3:30 p.m. – Daily Prayer – Pastor Marsh Drege, Executive Director, Seafarers’ International House, with Sr. Monica Clare
  • 3:45 p.m. – NAMMA Member’s Meeting – Session 1 – Recognition of Candidates for Election
  • 4 p.m. – Bus departure from hotel
  • 4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Off-site group excursion – Port Tour with Sandy Hooks Pilot boat
  • 7:30 p.m. – Dinner (provided in hotel Atrium)
• Wednesday 25 September
  • [7 a.m. – denominational prayer]
  • 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Breakfast (provided in hotel Atrium for guests in hotel)
  • 9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Session 3 – Port and Industry Perspectives
    • Beth Rooney, Director, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
    • Kierstin Del Valle Lachtman, Secretary General, Liberian Shipowners’ Council Ltd
  • 10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Coffee Break (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Session 4 – The Changing Reality of Seafarers’ Welfare – Legal, Digital, Financial
    • Phil Schifflin, Director, Center for Mariner Advocacy, SCI
    • Chris Watson, VP Marketing & Communications, KVH
    • Hal Ramakers, SVP Global Solutions, Brightwell Payments
  • 12:15 p.m – 1:15 p.m. – Lunch (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 1:15 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Session 5 – Priority Partnerships
    • Sue Dight, Regional Director, The Mission to Seafarers, Australia
    • Jay Brooks, Sailors Snug Harbor
    • Ben Bailey, The Mission to Seafarers (Presentation update on the Ship Visitor app)
    • Rev. Matthias Ristau (DSM) + Rev. Marsh Drege (SIH) (Presentation on a renewed partnership)
  • 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Coffee Break (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Session 6 – NAMMA Program and Meetings
    • Awards Presentation
    • Program updates
    • Annual General Meeting for members
  • 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Dinner (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Excursion to SCI Newark International Seafarers Center, Daily Prayer, and Reception
• Thursday 26 September (World Maritime Day)
  • [7 a.m. – denominational prayer]
  • 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Breakfast (provided in hotel Atrium for guests in hotel)
  • 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Session 7 – “World Maritime Day: Navigating the Future – Safety First!”
    • Capt. Amy M. Beach, Director of Inspections and Compliance, United States Coast Guard
    • Enrico Esopa, ITF inspector, Coordinator East Coast, USA
    • Mayte Medina, Chairperson, IMO Maritime Safety Committee and Chief, Maritime Personnel Qualifications Division, US Coast Guard
  • 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Coffee Break (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Session 8 – “Challenges for the Future of Seafarers’ Welfare”
    • Moderator – Christopher Aversano, host, The Last Dinosaur Podcast – Maritime Shipping in a Digital Age
    • Simon Grainge, Executive Director, ISWAN
    • Stephen Lyman, Executive Director, Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ
    • Chaplain Michelle DePooter, Montreal Ministry to Seafarers
    • Note: This session will be recorded and released in the subsequent week as an episode of The Last Dinosaur Podcast.
  • 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Lunch (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Session 9 – “Workshop: Priority: Our Future Workforce”
    • Moderator and Introduction – Rich Shively, Executive Director, Seattle Seafarers’ Center
    • Panel of interns and small group discussions
  • 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Coffee Break (provided in hotel Atrium)
  • 3 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Session 10 – “First things First: What are your priorities in service to seafarers?”
    • Moderator – Chris Moore, Texas Port Ministry
    • Jason Flinn, Chaplain, Mission to Seafarers Halifax, NS
    • David Hulse, Director, Seafarers’ Friend, Boston
    • Other Speakers to be Announced
  • 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Closing Worship
  • 5 p.m. [Conference Ends]
  • 5:30 p.m. – Dinner (provided in hotel Atrium)
• Friday 27 September
  • Departures or denominational meetings

Contact: executivedirector@namma.org

Sponsorship Information

For sponsor payment by check, print the sponsor information page (the last page of the Sponsorship Information document) and mail to: NAMMA, 123 Haven St., PO Box 160, Reading, MA 01867

Conference Program Committee: Jennifer Stewart (Seafarers’ House), Pastor Marsh Drege (SIH), David Hulse (Seafarers’ Friend), Rev’d Chris Moore (Texas Port Ministry), Helen Glenn (Halifax Mission to Seafarers), Jennifer Koenig (NAMMA), Dr. Jason Zuidema (NAMMA)

Sponsors and Partners: The ITF Seafarers’ Trust, TK Foundation, The Mission to Seafarers, The Seamen’s Church Institute, Seafarers’ International House, Sandy Hook Pilots, ICMA, RIA, Shipping Association of NY&NJ, Brightwell, Stella Maris, Diocese of Victoria in Texas