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Rob has served as the President of the National Association of Waterfront Employers and Executive Director of the National Maritime Safety Association since June of 2022. He has raised the profile of the marine terminal operating industry on Capitol Hill and with the Executive Branch while increasing the membership base of both organizations.
Rob spent 11 years on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), starting in January 2012 as Special Assistant to the Senator and Chief of Staff and Legislative Correspondence Manager, then Senior Legislative Assistant and finally Legislative Director from 2018-2022. In that capacity, he was the top policy advisor and political strategist for the Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, second ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senior Member of the Environment and Public Works and Rules Committees.
Heather brings an array of skills to the table from working in both the nonprofit and private sector. After graduating from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in global development and Spanish, she served a year as an AmeriCorps member. There, she was a case manager for students who spoke English as their second language, helping to sharpen their literacy skills. Heather’s next adventure was with a national nonprofit as an outreach and research assistant where she helped build an advocacy program and case managed college students. Her most recent experience was at a private consulting firm working with government clients on outreach and marketing. Heather enjoys volunteering for nonprofits; her most proud accomplishment was contributing to a volunteer research project on government-provided social housing around the world. In her spare time, Heather loves to travel: on a plane, hiking on foot, through books, or preparing worldly cuisine. She is looking forward to building relationships at NMSA.
Colleen joined the National Association of Waterfront Employers in July 2023, and brings with her a wealth of communication expertise. After graduating from Mississippi State University, Colleen came to Washington, DC to work on Capitol Hill for her home state of Mississippi. A native of the Gulf Coast, Colleen served as the Communications Director for Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District for five years before becoming Communications Director for New York’s 22nd Congressional District. During her time in these roles, Colleen executed successful social media growth campaigns, managed media relations, and oversaw all external, internal, and digital communications. Following her time on Capitol Hill, Colleen transitioned to the private sector as the Policy Communications Manager for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) where she helped cultivate a 45,000+ member grassroots community across the country while also meeting the Association’s public affairs goals.
