U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration hosted a virtual discussion panel to cultivate a new maritime culture that advocates greater inclusiveness, transparency and dignity for all people on ships.

Lucinda Lessley, MARAD acting administrator, gathered leaders from the U.S. Coast Guard, maritime industry, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and online influencers for the panel called “Creating Culture Change: From Intent to Action” April 26, according to an April 28 Department of Transportation news release. 

“We at DOT are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive culture in the maritime industry,” Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg said in the release. “For our country to continue reaping the rewards of a strong, safe, well-equipped merchant marine - we need to ensure that every single person in the industry is treated with dignity and given the opportunity to succeed.”

A culture panel with an all-female set of industry and government leaders shared their experiences as well as current challenges and obstacles to change, the release reported. They focused on ways to open the industry to the next generation of mariners, which included the promotion of greater diversity, equity and inclusion. The panelists also spoke prominently on the topic of transparency across maritime organizations, communications, and accountability structures.

“At the Maritime Administration, we believe every maritime industry workplace should be one where essential values of mutual respect and dignity are firmly upheld and where all workers have an equal chance to excel on the basis of their competency and professionalism,” Lessley said in the release.

The online panel concluded on a positive note. According to the release, MARAD committed to "defining the type of culture the maritime community desires, agreeing that the first step to move from intent to action is to ensure robust collaboration across the represented organizations, career functions and industries."