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[Oct. 10, 2016]

INDIANAPOLIS  – The top-ranking U.S. maritime official will provide the breakfast keynote presentation during the Indiana Logistics Summit taking place Nov. 16-17 at the Indiana Convention Center. On Nov. 17, U.S. Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen will discuss new opportunities for maritime shipping to help resolve gridlock on U.S. highways and to create new economic opportunities. Jaenichen joined the United State’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2012 and was appointed by President Obama to serve as Maritime Administrator in 2014.

“Administrator Jaenichen has provided tremendous leadership for the maritime industry and has made great strides in demonstrating how our nation’s inland waterways can provide real solutions for the U.S. transportation system,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper. “As a champion of marine highways, he has shown a clear vision for developing programs that support multimodal transportation. Waterborne shipping is the safest, most economical and efficient mode of transporting freight, but connecting waterways to truck and rail networks is critical to building a successful freight transportation network that can keep up with future trade projections and avoid gridlock on our roads and railways.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has projected that by 2045, America’s population will grow by 70 million and total freight volume will increase 45 percent. During his keynote remarks, Jaenichen will review the National Maritime Transportation Strategy and discuss ways maritime transportation can complement rail and highway shipping. He will examine America’s marine highway system, which adds transportation capacity by supplementing or connecting road and rail lines via 29,000 nautical miles of navigable waterways including rivers, bays, channels, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway System and coastal routes. He will also provide an update on MARAD’s marine highway projects, services on designated marine highway routes that provide new modal choices to shippers.

The Summit, now in its 14^th year, will also include an “Election Aftermath” keynote luncheon address by political analyst and humorist Stuart Rothenberg. More than 20 speakers will make presentations during the conference including executives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Aviation Administration, Celadon, Norfolk Southern, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana University Health and more. The event, co-hosted by Ports of Indiana, Purdue University and Conexus Indiana, brings together more than 300 industry leaders to hear regional and national experts discuss key issues affecting the logistics industry.

An early-bird registration of $250 per registrant is available until Oct. 11. Registration includes all sessions, kick-off reception, evening international reception, continental breakfast, keynote breakfast and luncheon and conference materials. Sponsorships and group registration are available by contacting Liz Folkerts at 317-232-9205.

To register online or for more information about the 2016 Indiana Logistics Summit, visit www.indianalogistics.com.

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Media Contact: Rich Allen, 317-232-9204, rallen@portsofindiana.com