Posted on May 8, 2025
In a series of board and membership meetings last week the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA) unanimously voted to accept Harry Stewart as the President of the DCA Board of Directors and Travis Boone as its Senior Vice President. Harry Stewart is the President and CEO of San Rafael, California based The Dutra Group. Travis Boone is President and CEO of Houston, Texas based Orion Group Holdings, Inc. The other officers of DCA are Brian McGeorge, President of Arkansas based Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company as DCA Vice President; James Cottrell, President and CEO of Virgina based Cottrell Contacting Corporation as DCA Vice President; and Gordon Shelton of Cottrell Contracting Corporation as Treasurer.
The new Directors of DCA who were unanimously approved:
- All DCA Officers are also members of Board of Directors
- Aaron Harke, Kokosing Industrial
- Zac Morrish, Ryba Marine Construction, Co.
- Kimberly Richmond, Southern Dredging Company, Inc.
- Stephen Tobin, Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting
The remaining Directors on the Board with terms ending in 2026 are the following:
- Kelly Albers, Marinex Construction
- Jim Cottrell, Cottrell Contracting Corporation
- Walter Jellison, Pacific Dredge & Construction
- Kim Hooks, Mike Hooks, LLC
- Fred Paup, Manson Construction Co.
- Kimberly Richmond, Southern Dredging Co. Inc.
“I want to thank and congratulate Jim Cottrell for his exceptional leadership throughout his term in office. Thanks to your guidance and leadership,” said Harry Stewart. “I am honored to be a part of, and represent, an industry which is so very valuable to the economic health and security of our country. I also want to acknowledge the individuals in DCA for their collective efforts in promoting our industry. Our mission remains clear, and we must step up to the challenge. We must continue to educate, inform, and partner with our customers at the Corps, other state, and local levels, those on Capitol Hill who fund us, and the many Americans who benefit from our work.”
In being elected to serve as Senior Vice President, Orion’s Travis Boone stated, “The dredging sector’s U.S.- built, owned, and crewed fleets are critical to the shipping industry, the U.S. economy, and to national security. Through DCA, I look forward to helping protect and advance the dredging industry”
“We had a very productive week of meetings,” said William P. Doyle, CEO and Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America. “These are very exciting times in the maritime industry. President Trump has issued an Executive Order on ‘Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,’ Congress has reintroduced the bipartisan Ships for America Act, and the United States Trade Representative’s 301 Action is aimed at protecting the overall U.S. maritime industry.” Doyle concluded, “We’ll keep moving forward focusing on the important dredging and infrastructure projects that serve as the economic and national security backbone to the United States of America.”
Throughout the week DCA heard from a whole host of speakers and presenters discussing their roles in the maritime, port, dredging and marine construction sectors.
Mike Roberts, Sr. Fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technologies spoke about his work focusing on policy issues impacting the American commercial maritime industry in light of geopolitical competition with China.
Mr. Sean Plankey, Department of Homeland Security, and Admiral Kevin E. Lundy, Acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. DCA thanked the Coast Guard for their recent repeal of letters requiring merchant mariner credentials for non-mariner personnel in dredging industry. They also discussed President Trump’s aim to cut overburdensome regulations on industry.
Aaron Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA), provided DCA with an update of the association’s actions protecting U.S. offshore interests before Congress, the Coast Guard, and other government and regulatory agencies.
Chad Bradley, Partner at SBL Strategies, LLC provided an update on the latest fast-moving actions by the Trump Administration, Congressional budgets and legislation, the early development of the 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA 2026), and strategies for DCA priorities in 2025.
Let Mon Lee and Grady Bryant with Gahagan & Bryant Associates, Inc. (GBA) presented a primer on effective ways to tell your story in Washington, DC and work at all levels of executive leadership in the Army Corps of Engineers, the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.
Durin Hendricks with Nahigian Strategies discussed the importance of communication and strategies to effectively drive the message on dredging and the Jones Act. Nahigian Strategies has been instrumental in helping the U.S. maritime industry message its involvement and importance to the FSK recovery and clean-up.
Mark Ruge and Elle Stuart with the American Maritime Partnership discussed the latest developments and Jones Act policy. He briefed DCA on the pillars of the Jones Act and the important role the dredging industry plays in keeping the Jones Act strong.
It was a great week of meetings. Onward!
