2025 agendA

Please check back for updates and additions

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

10:00-5:00

Exhibit Hall

Exhibitor Set Up

1:00-5:00

Bayland Marina

Vessel and Technology Live Demonstrations

1:00-2:15

Regency Ballroom

Port Security Grant Program Workshop: Understanding the grant program and how to achieve maximum success

Duane Davis (Invited)

Port Security Grant Program Section Chief
FEMA

2:15-3:45

Regency Ballroom

Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Workshop

Facilitator TBA

3:45-5:00

Regency Ballroom

Training Workshop: Issues in Facility Security Planning: How to navigate the new rules and regulations on MTSA regulated facilities in 2025 and beyond

This is a highly interactive session that will explore some currents trends in maritime security regulations and policy. What’s new with NMSAC, and how can the Committee’s work affect maritime stakeholders? How can a smaller facility stay ahead of new rules and regulations? How can a facility pre-position itself ahead of any incoming reg? Is our concentration on the cyber threat diverting our attention from other equally important threats?

Laurie Thomas
Maritime Security Coordinator
The University of Findlay
Vice Chair, National Maritime Security Advisory Committee

5:00-6:30

O’Neal’s Sports Bar & Grill on the Water

No-Host Networking Social

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

7:30-6:30

Exhibit Hall

Technologies and Solutions Exhibition

7:30-8:45

Exhibit Hall

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:00

Main Hall

Opening Remarks and Pledge of Allegiance

Sareth Neak
President
Neak Media LLC

9:00-9:30

Main Hall

Opening Keynote

U.S. Coast Guard Leadership TBA

9:00-9:30

Main Hall

Keynote: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations

N. Clark Lanzendorf
Director, Air and Marine Operations Center
U.S. Customs and Border Protection

10:00-10:45

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

10:45-11:15

Main Hall

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston

Captain Keith M. Donohue
Commander, Sector Houston-Galveston
U.S. Coast Guard

11:15-12:15

Main Hall

Port Security Round Table Discussion: Security priorities for ports

Jessica Thomas

Director of Security
Port of Houston Authority

Mark Dubina

Vice President, Security
Port Tampa Bay

Mike Edgerton, CSyP, CPP, CISM

Manager, Port Security
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Chris Hogan
Director of Protective Services
Port Freeport

Brandi Flisowski
Security Director/FSO
Port of Texas City Security Council, Inc.

12:15-1:15

Exhibit Hall

Networking Lunch

1:15-2:00

Main Hall

Effective Public-Private Partnerships for Maritime Security and Marine Law Enforcement

Eric M. Carrero, CAPT Ret., USCG
President
Greater Houston Port Bureau

Gary Scheibe
Chair
Houston Ship Channel Security District

Marco (Marc) Ayala
President
Houston InfraGard Members Alliance

2:00-2:30

Main Hall

Cyber Security Keynote

Speaker TBA

2:30-3:00

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

2:30-3:15

Regency Ballroom

Hazmat/CBRNE Response: Exercises and Resources

William D. Briscoe Jr.
Special Agent
Assistant WMD Coordinator (CT2)
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston

Additional Panelists TBA

3:00-3:45

Main Hall

Port CIO Panel

Kenneth Washington
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Port Tampa Bay

Additional Panelists TBA

3:15-3:45

Regency Ballroom

Emerging Threats and Challenges to Marine Firefighting

William Buck
Fire Chief
Port Houston

Additional Panelists TBA

3:45-4:30

Main Hall

Red Flags: Navigating Regulations and Compliance in Maritime Cybersecurity

This panel explores the intricate regulatory landscape governing maritime cybersecurity, including key guidelines from the IMO, U.S. Coast Guard, and classification societies. It addresses the challenges stakeholders face in ensuring compliance amidst overlapping regulations and the resource demands on smaller companies. Best practices for compliance are highlighted, such as conducting regular risk assessments, crew training, and adopting recognized cybersecurity frameworks. The discussion concludes with insights into future trends, emphasizing the need for harmonization of international standards and a proactive approach to cybersecurity that transcends mere compliance, ultimately aiming to safeguard the maritime industry against evolving cyber threats.

Moderator – Chris Wolski

President & CEO
Applied Security Convergence LLC

Marco (Marc) Ayala
President
Houston InfraGard Members Alliance

Michael W. Ziesemer, CPP, CPE
General Manager, Galveston Cruise Terminal, LLC
SSA Marine Cruise Division

Julio R. Gonzalez
Supervisory Protective Security Advisor
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Additional Panelists TBA

3:45-4:30

Regency Ballroom

Mass Rescue: Interagency planning and exercising

Panelists TBA

4:30-5:00

Main Hall

The Evolution of Cyber Strategy: Executive orders, directives, policies and guidance

Charles Blackmore – CISSP, C|EH, CIPP/US, C|CISO
Marine Transportation System Specialist (Cyber)
Office of Port & Facility Compliance
Domestic Ports Division (CG-FAC-1)
U.S. Coast Guard

4:30-5:00

Regency Ballroom

Session TBA

Panelists TBA

5:00-6:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Social

Thursday, March 6, 2024

8:00-4:00

Exhibit Hall

Technologies and Solutions Exhibition

8:00-8:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Breakfast

8:30-9:00

Main Hall

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate: Developing and transitioning operational capabilities for maritime and port security and safety

Alyssa Malcomson, MPH
Program Manager
Science & Technology Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

9:00-9:30

Main Hall

Transportation Security Administration TWIC Inspection Program: Data and lessons learned

The presentation will cover the TWIC® program and more broadly, TSA’s role in supporting maritime security efforts of the USCG. Administered by the TSA, the TWIC® program provides a minimum standard for the vetted population of workers requiring access to secured areas of port facilities, and is implemented by the USCG through its regulatory requirements. A significant amount of teamwork goes into the vetting of applicants, and includes collaborating with other Federal Agencies. Additionally, TSA conducts regulatory inspections of TWIC® usage in support of USCG’s implementation of the program, and has grown in this role to include training and exercise facilitation.

Ryan Thomas
Supervisory Transportation Security Inspector
Houston Field Office
TSA Surface Operations

Drew Sindlinger
Branch Manager
Customer Engagement Branch
TSA Enrollment Services & Vetting Programs

9:30-10:00

Regency Ballroom

Transporting Spent Nuclear Fuel by Barge, Truck, and Rail: Preliminary Plans for a Package Performance Demonstration

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is considering options for conducting a Package Performance Demonstration (PPD) to help build public trust and confidence in the safety of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation casks and SNF transportation by rail, heavy-haul truck, and barge. The purpose of a PPD is to demonstrate the ability of a SNF transportation cask to withstand hypothetical accident test conditions representative of those that might occur during transit. In July 2024, DOE-NE issued a Request for Information (RFI) as a formal mechanism to request input, elicit feedback, and conduct market research by requesting information from interested parties (stakeholders) as well as potential suppliers of products and services to assist DOE-NE in its decision-making process with respect to the types of demonstrations, casks, or parameters to include in a PPD. DOE-NE has also engaged in extensive external engagement to share information and gather feedback about its preliminary PPD plans. This presentation will discuss the PPD plans, early insights from the RFI responses, and how a PPD could relate to transport on waterways. The session will also include an opportunity for Q&A with the PPD project leads.

Gerard Jackson
Security Specialist
Transportation Program Manager
U.S. Dept. of Energy

Miriam Juckett
Intergovernmental and External Engagement Advisor
Nuclear Materials Storage and Transportation Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

9:30-10:00

Main Hall

Maritime Cybersecurity – It’s Time to Take Action: Accelerating and prioritizing cyber security in the commercial maritime sector

Session will discuss the imperative for the maritime industry to accelerate and prioritize its efforts related to cybersecurity, shifting leaders from thinking about the issue as a compliance task to more of a business enabler for continuity of operations.

Rick Siebenaler
CEO and Executive Director, Maritime Cybersecurity Institute
CEO Brams Point Partners, LLC

Additional Panelists TBA

10:00-10:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

10:30-11:00

Regency Ballroom

A Practical Case Study of Maritime Domain Awareness Technology: Supporting Interagency Collaboration for Border Protection, Part 2

Vincent “Vinnie” Nguyen
Business Development and Enablement Manager, North America
Starboard Maritime Intelligence

11:00-11:30

Regency Ballroom

Space Data on Demand – Fusing Geospatial and Big Data to Generate Actionable Insights for Decisionmakers

The panel discussion will focus on Deloitte’s space data on-demand solution designed to empower decision-makers with actionable insights derived from the fusion of multi-sensor commercial satellite data with big data. This solution is tailored to meet the unique demands of maritime domain security, environmental monitoring, emergency response, and more. The panel will explore the various features, benefits, and applications of Deloitte’s space data on demand capabilities, highlighting the solution’s impact on operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.

Susan Kalweit
Advisory Managing Director
Deloitte

Paul Vance
Advisory Manager
Deloitte

11:30-12:00

Regency Ballroom

Marine Law Enforcement and Responders Solutions Presentations

10:30-12:00

Main Hall

Enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness with Geospatial Common Operating Pictures

Discover how to harness the capabilities of configurable geospatial web applications and analytical tools to build a comprehensive maritime common operating picture that enhances critical event management. This session will demonstrate techniques for integrating diverse static and dynamic data sources – vessel tracking systems and maritime sensors -into the ArcGIS platform to support cross-agency collaboration. You will learn best practices for leveraging authoritative datasets from your organization and partners, incorporating custom data layers, and managing real-time feeds. Additionally, we’ll explore methods for transforming complex geospatial insights into actionable intelligence, empowering you to respond effectively to critical events, communicate with leadership, share information across stakeholders, and make informed decisions on force readiness and mission success.

Carl Walter
Director, Homeland Security Solutions
Esri

Colin Cate
Public Safety Solution Engineer
Esri

12:00-1:00

Independence Hall B

Networking Lunch

1:00-1:45

Main Hall

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Latest Reports: Vessel and maritime cargo security, Cyber threats to the MTS and Coast Guard vessel inspections

GAO has conducted extensive work related to maritime safety and security issues in carrying out statutory oversight responsibilities for the U.S. Congress. This work has recently covered vessel inspections, maritime cyber security, and vessel and maritime cargo security, among other issues. GAO will discuss longstanding and emerging challenges, areas needing attention and improved collaboration, and the results of our work as they impact stakeholders in the maritime domain.

Heather MacLeod
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

1:45-2:15

Main Hall

Counter-Drone Operations: Challenges and Opportunities

This presentation will address the current Counter-UAS legislative landscape and provide suggestions on how organizations can conduct C-UAS operations within that landscape and strategies organizations can take to update physical security policy, processes, procedures, training, and exercises.

Brandon Youngblood
Founder
Drone Security Services

2:15-2:45

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

2:45-3:15

Main Hall

Emerging Alternative Fuels and its’ Potential Effect on Maritime Safety and Security

Cintia Ciancio
Chief Executive Officer
Hoctant

Additional Panelists TBA

3:15-4:00

Main Hall

Advancing Information Sharing Across Agencies and Stakeholders: From ReCom to Fusion Centers

Panelists TBA

4:00

Main Hall

Closing Remarks

Sareth Neak
President
Neak Media LLC