ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. At the close of the first day of the PIANC World Congress in San Francisco, there was a spirited and informative meeting with Latin American Congress members as they exchanged ideas and identified the critical needs of the navigation sector in Latin America, while brainstorming opportunities available through PIANC to help address these needs. Collectively, the group felt that professional development (training and development); technical support, and collaboration with PIANC should be given the highest priorities, and the PIANC has already begun following up on them.
This inaugural meeting on June 2, conducted entirely in Spanish, was well attended by members from several Latin American nations including Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Panama and Mexico, and featured speeches by Eng Geoffrey Claude (PIANC General Secretary), Francisco Esteban Lefler (Chairman of MARCOM), MG Peabody, and the Honorable Jo Ellen Darcy from the Corps of Engineers. PIANC USA Coordinator for Latin America, Lillian Almodovar, moderated the lively discussion. It was not all business; however, as members also gave their sage predictions on the winner of the World Cup, with Brazil receiving the most votes.
See you at the next PIANC World Congress in 2018 - in Panama!
Learn More
For more information, visit www.iwr.usace.army.mil & www.pianc.us.
Congress website: http://2014congress.pianc.us/
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PIANC USA was organized in 1902 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) serving as the Secretariat. Membership is comprised of engineers, scientists, economists, planners, dredgers, port operators, regulators, and marina and vessel owners. The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and the USACE Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations serve as liaisons to the U.S. National Commission.