Page 9: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2016)

You recently became Executive Director of The

Maritime Alliance. What attracted you to the position?

Our mission is critical and our mandate is clear. We pro- mote sustainable, science-based ocean and water industry that balances conservation and economic development. I am inspired every day by the entrepreneurs, innovators and re- searchers who see a problem and ? nd a solution that not only ? lls a market opportunity but bene? ts society. We grapple with global challenges related to biodiversity, clean water, climate change, disease, food security, global commerce, sea level rise and workforce development. It’s clear to me that the ocean will increasingly become a bigger part of our daily lives, so it’s my role to turn our collective attention to the ocean as a source of innovation, inspiration and jobs.

Stepping into the position, what were your im- mediate goals for The Maritime Alliance?

The Maritime Alliance is at an in? ection point. We are a small non-pro? t and our membership is growing. Our

Founder Michael Jones continues as President and we are fortunate to have a strong, dedicated Board of Directors and a growing, skilled staff. Our immediate goals are to grow capacity and institutionalize operations, with a focus of con- tinuing to deliver value for our member companies and drive innovation. That includes the creation of a BlueTech Incuba- tor this year, and expanding our efforts to educate elected of- ? cials, economic development of? cers, and the public about the value of the Blue Economy. A big focus this year will be workforce development because future growth requires motivated entrepreneurs and trained employees to create and ? ll the Blue Economy jobs of tomorrow.

We understand that your November event – Blue

Tech & Blue Economy Summit – has evolved to become “San Diego Blue Tech Week.” What speci? cally was the impetus for this expan- sion? What, speci? cally, is new this year?

Our 8th Annual BlueTech & Blue Economy Summit and

Tech Expo will be part of a rebranded San Diego BlueTech

Week, with 6 events in 5 days November 7-11, 2016. The ever popular 2-day Summit and Maritime Gala Dinner will highlight exciting new trends in BlueTech with speakers from around the world. Last year we launched a dedicated track on Workforce Development for educators, HR pro- fessionals and students to discuss career opportunities in the Blue Economy, and we are bringing it back again this year by popular demand. In addition, we are co-hosting a day-long event with Scripps Institution of Oceanogra- phy on Big Data, Data Security, and OceanGIS, and we’re launching our ? rst Investors, Philanthropy and Corporate

Partner Day to give a platform for BlueTech inventors and entrepreneurs to look for partners for their innovative tech- nologies and companies.

www.marinetechnologynews.com

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