Rivers and ports groups holding joint annual meetings in Quincy this week

QUINCY — Leaders of the Upper Mississippi, Illinois & Missouri Rivers Association (UMIMRA) and the Corn Belt Ports will be holding the organizations’ annual meetings in Quincy on June 21 and 22.

Advocates from across the Midwest to hear presentations focused on flood control, navigation and common-sense environmental stewardship in the 21st century. 

The Wednesday Corn Belt Ports meeting will run from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will lead into a tour of the Quincy Barge Dock facility. Thursday’s meeting will focus on the UMIMRA agenda.

Both meetings are at The Atrium on Third Hotel, 201 South 3rd Street.

From a news release: “UMIMRA has a long history of working to improve flood protection on behalf of its members and for those living, working, and investing in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The Annual Meeting gives attendees an opportunity to network and learn from others to find solutions that will reduce flood damages, protect property, and support communities.”

The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, June 21

12:00-12:10 Welcome – Mike Troup, Mayor, Quincy, Illinois (Host) 

12:10-12:15 Welcome – Mike Norris, Chair, Mid-America Port Commission Welcome (Host) 

12:10-12:35 Corn Belt Ports Update – Robert Sinkler, Executive Coordinating Director 

12:35-12:55 Keynote Lunch Address: COL Andy Pannier, Deputy Commander, Mississippi Valley Division and MRC Secretary, Mississippi River Commission 

12:55-1:00 Break 

Federal Updates 

1:00-1:20 Mr. Travis Black, Director, Inland Waterways Gateway Office, Maritime Administration (MARAD) Update, U.S. Department of Transportation 

1:20-1:25 Introduction – COL Jesse T. Curry, Commander and District Engineer, Rock Island District, US Army Corps of Engineers 

1:25-1:50 Mr. Andrew Goodall, Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) Program Manager – Rock Island District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Upper Mississippi River Basin M-35/M-55 Work and Resilience Planning 

1:50-2:10 Kirsten Wallace, Executive Director, Upper Mississippi River Basin Association 

State Departments of Transportation Updates 

2:10-2:25 BJ Murray, Section Chief, Aviation & Marine Transportation Program Planning, Illinois Department of Transportation, Office of Planning & Programming 

2:25-2:40 Rob Frese, District Planning Manager at Missouri Department of Transportation 

2:40-2:55 Caleb Whitehouse, Freight Planner at the Iowa Department of Transportation 

Tour 

3:00-5:00 p.m. Joint Corn Belt Ports and UMIMRA Tour of Quincy ADM Facility & newly renovated Quincy Barge Dock (Meet in lobby of The Atrium on Third Hotel) 

Reception 

Begins 5:30 Joint Corn Belt Ports and UMIMRA Reception (Splash Terrace The Atrium on Third Hotel) 

Thursday, June 22 

UMIMRA Annual Meeting 

7:00 AM Continental Breakfast & Registration opens 

8:00–8:30 Engine Replacement Options for Pump Stations – Pat Massart, Fabick Power Systems & Ray Hodson, Central Power Systems & Services 

8:30-9:00 Weather Outlook & Climate Trends for the Upper Mississippi River – Rich Kinney, National Weather Service 

9:00-9:45 Update on USACE Levee Safety & PL 84-99 Programs – Jacob Nienaber, Levee Safety Program Manager, USACE HQ & Willem Helms, PL 84-99 Program Manager, USACE HQ 

9:45-10:00 Break 

10:00-10:45 USACE District Updates – COL Jesse Curry, USACE Rock Island District & Lt. Col. Thomas Sears, USACE St. Louis District 

10:45-11:15 FEMA Panel – Roger Smith & Renee Gisler, FEMA Region 7 & Katie Warren, FEMA Region 5 

11:15-12:00 What Leveed Communities are Fighting For… and Why – Dan Delich, Floodplain Alliance for Insurance Reform (FAIR) 

12:00-1:30 Luncheon & UMIMRA Annual Members Meeting 

Keynote speaker – Making a Difference on Water Resource Issues – Amy Larson, Washington, D.C. based Larson Strategies, LLC