AMO was onboard for the 2026 Women on the Water conference, which featured a wide range of events in Maryland and in Washington, D.C. this month. The annual WOW conference, hosted this year by the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, focuses on connecting female cadets and professionals in the maritime industry, providing networking opportunities and mentoring, and highlighting achievements of, and addressing challenges faced by, women who work at sea.
Our union was represented by AMO President Willie Barrere, Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Alaina Basciano Carouge and AMO East Coast Representative Marissa Cap. Speaking at different events were Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel and former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. Basciano Carouge and Cap served on multiple panels, individually or together, which included A Discussion in Organized Labor and The Only Woman in the Room, as well as Changes in Maritime Policy in the Last 10 Years. AMO is a proud sponsor of this conference aimed at empowering the next generation of female mariners.
