Speakers
Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy directs the Big River Coalition, which is committed to protecting maritime commerce across the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MRT). The Coalition focuses on maximizing transportation efficiencies on the Mississippi River Ship Channel (Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico), particularly through channel maintenance. The Big River Coalition is credited with the efforts to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet and secure increased federal investments for channel maintenance, with the first two phases of this project completed. Mr. Duffy leads with a vision of future deep-draft navigation on the MRT, ensuring that systematic approaches protect maritime commerce by maintaining fully authorized channel dimensions while also updating and maintaining navigation infrastructure, specifically focusing on vertical clearances at bridges and powerlines and the depth of pipelines under the Ship Channel. Deepening the Ship Channel to 50 feet and increasing the beneficial use of dredge material (or “sediment recycling”) were projects first promoted by the navigation industry through the Big River Coalition. Mr. Duffy also serves as an Executive Vice President / Maritime Advocate for the New Orleans Steamship Association and the Louisiana Maritime Association and CEO of Duffy Maritime Consultants. Mr. Duffy is a proponent of local industry, specializing in advocacy on Capitol Hill to secure supplemental funds for maintenance dredging and waterway maintenance. Previous employment includes various management positions, Boarding Agent, Deckhand, Stevedore General Superintendent and Marine Surveyor. Mr. Duffy is familiar with obstacles faced by the maritime industry, both nationally and those specific to Louisiana, and has been recognized for his efforts on coastal restoration through maintenance dredging. He became the HSRP Chair in September 2023 after serving as Vice Chair for a number of years.