NBOC HOLDS 2024 ANNUAL MEETING
The NBOC held its Annual Meeting on January 21st at the New Bedford Harbor Hotel. The meeting, which highlighted the organization’s progress in 2024, was followed by a lively networking reception with NBOC members, partners, and friends.
The Annual Meeting was held a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, so the timing of the event infused the atmosphere with both uncertainty and optimism. President of the Board, John Bullard opened the meeting with an encouraging speech, addressing the historic change in administration head-on.
“Yesterday was a momentous day. Everything in the Federal Government has changed. The NBOC works to advance four maritime pillars. We want to build on our dominance in commercial fishing, lead the way in offshore wind, expand opportunity in the rapidly developing aquaculture industry, and secure a place in the exciting marine technology sector that can tie all our pillars together. All these industries are heavily influenced by the federal government. So, what does this mean for our work at the NBOC? No one really knows just yet. What I do know is that this is a time of both great challenges and great opportunities. What I also know is that in a time of great challenge and opportunity, what we need is clear vision and strong leadership and that my friends, is what we have in spades at the New Bedford Ocean Cluster,” said Bullard.
Mayor Jon Mitchell echoed Bullard’s sentiment about the importance of strong leadership and clear vision during times of change and spoke in detail about the opportunities on the horizon for New Bedford’s waterfront.
“We are on an upper trajectory here in the Port of New Bedford. Over the last decade, we have put important foundations in place and by and large, are in a much stronger position. Our expansion of port infrastructure is a big advantage, as well as the new institutions now in place supporting our maritime economy like the NBOC, National Offshore Wind Institute, New Bedford Research and Robotics, and others. We are no longer a one industry port. We have continued to evolve and have a lot of pieces in place to continue to lead across many maritime industries. At this exciting inflection point for our work on the waterfront, now is the time to engage in extensive strategic planning so we are prepared to seize the opportunities that are before us,” said Mitchell.
The event’s program included a series of progress reports delivered by NBOC Board of Directors covering matters of governance, finance, and updates from the NBOC’s industry advisory committees. The program also included the annual election of directors and officers. Ed Anthes-Washburn of CLT Maritime, Jennifer Menard of the Massachusetts Office of Business & Economic Development, and Tony Sapienza were re-elected to the board for three-year terms. John Bullard was elected to serve as President of the Board for another one-year term and Ed Anthes-Washburn will continue to serve as Vice President of the Board for another year. Scott Lima, former Ward 5 City Councillor, was elected to serve as the organization’s Secretary & Treasurer for a one-year term.
NBOC Executive Director Jennifer Downing provided a final report that highlighted several organizational achievements in 2024, including hosting a very successful second annual Offshore Wind Conference that included 180 industry leaders from U.S. and European markets, local businesses, start-ups, and public agencies from Massachusetts and beyond. Downing said the organization’s 3rd Annual Conference, to be held in New Bedford this October 1-3, will expand programming beyond offshore wind to include aquaculture, commercial fishing, and marine technology topics.
In her closing remarks, Downing reiterated the evening’s theme of leadership and vision and acknowledged that the change in administration will no doubt challenge some areas of the NBOC’s work. However, she reminded attendees about the inherent challenge and great opportunity embedded in the NBOC’s mission and vision.
“When our founders started the NBOC, they were intentional about launching a cluster organization that would ambitiously try to grow and align four different maritime industries. Four industries that have some similarities, but are more different when you consider their histories, beliefs, markets, and supply chains.”
“We could have created the “New Bedford Offshore Wind Cluster” or the “New Bedford Fishing Cluster,” but that approach would have been too easy and would have sold our port, city, and region short of its true potential. Our founders knew that there was enormous possibility and promise for long-term economic growth and prosperity for more people and businesses of New Bedford if we could tap into what the similarities between our four pillars are and to create a more integrated and diverse maritime industry in our port. NBOC was not created with the understanding that it would be an easy path to success. Our founders chose the hard path, because it’s the hard path that most often leads to meaningful, long-lasting success.”
The NBOC holds a public Annual Meeting every year to report to its stakeholders on progress. To follow the NBOC’s work throughout the year, follow the organization on social media and sign up to receive its quarterly newsletter.
