Page 11: of Marine News Magazine (March 2026)

10 12

Insights

Aimee Andres, Executive Director, IRPT y dad was a terminal operator, then a

Leveling the Funding Playing Field port engineer, then a port director,”

When asked which accomplishments she is most

Andres said. “Transportation literally proud of, Andres immediately pointed to IRPT’s role “M runs through my blood.” in shaping the federal Port Infrastructure Development

That early exposure made a lasting impression. As an Program (PIDP).

adult, when it came time to choose a career path, An-

Before the program was restructured, small inland dres knew ports and terminals were where she wanted to ports were forced to compete directly with mega-ports be. When she stepped into the executive director role at like New York–New Jersey or Long Beach for a limited

IRPT, she quickly recognized a core challenge shared by pool of federal infrastructure dollars. IRPT saw the im- many inland ports: extremely small staffs carrying enor- balance and took action.

mous responsibility.

In 2019, the association helped write legislation es- “These facilities might have one or two people manag- tablishing a “small port, small project” category within ing legislative affairs, HR, business development, tenant PIDP. The result: a dedicated funding pool that allows relations — you name it,” she said. “Yet the impact they small ports to compete against peers with similar scale have on their communities and shippers is enormous.” and needs.

Helping those lean organizations gain access to re-

Since then, Andres said, $112 million per year has sources, advocacy and business development support has been set aside for small-port projects, funding roughly 50 been central to IRPT’s evolution under her leadership.

projects nationwide. “That program is near and dear to our hearts,” she said. “It has changed what’s possible for

IRPT Today inland ports.”

From its headquarters in St. Louis, IRPT now oper-

The economic value of inland ports and terminals is ates with a small but geographically distributed team. often underestimated, Andres said, because their success

Its membership has grown to roughly 500 organizations is measured in what doesn’t happen.

spanning the freight ecosystem: public ports, private ter- “If we didn’t have our river system providing that mod- minals, barge lines, railroads, trucking companies, ship- al option, transportation costs would rise across rail and pers, state agencies and service providers.

trucking,” she explained. “The competition keeps prices

The association organizes its members across 11 river down for everyone.” basins, re