(Duluth, MN) — The International Ship Masters’ Association (ISMA) has announced that U.S Representative Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Sara Fuentes, American Maritime Partnership, and J.M. “Mike” McCoshen, Administrator, Great Lakes Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) will headline seven speakers who will address ISMA when the ISMA holds their 136th Annual Grand Lodge Convention, January 28 – February 1, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Downtown and the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center (DECC).
ISMA Twin Ports Lodge #12 members have hosted the convention five times over the group’s 140-year history in 1958, 1967, 1982, 2001, and 2015. The 2026 convention marks the sixth time the Twin Ports takes center stage in the maritime industry with over two-hundred professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada expected to attend.
“This slate of elite guest speakers will enhance our convention by facilitating interaction with the greater maritime industry. Key discussion topics will include safety, logistics, environment, legislation, and protection of Jones Act (U.S.-flagged) shipping,” said Capt. Chris Edyvean / ISMA Grand 1st Vice President and event organizer.
Congressman Tiffany represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and was first elected to Congress in a special election in May 2020. He is currently running for Wisconsin governor in 2026. Rep. Tiffany serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. He has worked to secure critical investments for Wisconsin shipyards, including in the Twin Ports, helping strengthen America’s maritime and defense industries. These efforts are expanding fleet capacity, modernizing our national defense, and creating and protecting family-wage jobs throughout Northern Wisconsin.
Ms. Fuentes is the Vice President, Government Affairs at Transportation Institute, where she oversees efforts to educate stakeholders on the importance of a strong U.S.-flagged maritime industry. Transportation Institute is a nonprofit that advocates for a strong U.S.-flag merchant marine and American maritime policy. As part of this work, she serves as Vice President of the American Maritime Partnership, Vice President of the Propeller Club-Port of Washington D.C., and chairs the Regulatory Affairs Committee of the USA Maritime coalition.
Mr. McCoshen, a native of Superior, WI, has more than forty-five years of experience in maritime transportation and waterfront operations. Mr. McCoshen currently serves as the twelfth GLS Administrator. He was appointed by President Donald Trump in June 2025 to oversee the federal corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway between Montréal and Lake Erie, as well as increasing maritime trade and economic development throughout the Great Lakes region.
Other guest speakers include Kevin Beardsley, Executive Director, Duluth Seaway Port Authority. His career spans more than twenty-five years of leadership in fiscal management, strategic planning, and public-sector operations.
Patrick Kelly is President / CEO of Fraser Industries, LLC, a position he has held since 2021 after successfully leading the acquisition of Fraser Industries with three partners. He has a variety of experiences and leadership roles in manufacturing and construction organizations and is well-known among top corporations.
Mary Sabuda, who covers maritime transportation policy at the Great Lakes Commission. In this role, she works to advance policy and funding priorities related to navigation and maritime transportation in the Great Lakes basin, promote knowledge transfer and coordination among stakeholders and policymakers, and develop new partnerships within the maritime community. Before joining the GLC, Ms. Sabuda worked in Washington, D.C., for a Great Lakes U.S. Senator supporting maritime, environment, energy, and agriculture issues.
Helen Stewart of Fugro will offer a presentation entitled, “All Hands for all the Lakes: Vessel Masters as Stewards of Great Lakes Science.” Ms. Stewart is an NSPS/THSOA Certified Hydrographer and member of The Hydrographic Society of the USA. In her career spanning over two decades, Ms. Stewart has worked in many distinct aspects of hydrography from nautical charting, geophysical surveys, and deepwater AUV projects to subsea engineering surveys and pelagic oceanographic research. Additionally, she is a leader in the Lakebed 2030 initiative.
Supporting the convention in Duluth are Platinum Sponsor – Key Lakes/Great Lakes Fleet; Gold Sponsors – Port of Monroe, MI, and Duluth Seaway Port Authority; Silver Sponsors – Enbridge, and Western Great Lakes Pilots Association; and Bronze Sponsors – International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots, Marine Pollution Control, Port City Marine Services, J.W. Wescott Company, and Fraser Industries.
Anyone interested in attending the convention or becoming a sponsor for the 136th Annual ISMA Grand Lodge Convention can contact Capt. Edyvean at 715-862-2531 / E-mail: cjedyvean@hotmail.com. For more information about the ISMA, please visit www.shipmaster.org.
