This four-hour facilitated roundtable discussion is a forum for members to discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions for onboarding and orienting new employees. Participants should have some degree of responsibility for the referenced topic and be willing to share thoughts, ideas, and suggestions from a position of experience.

At the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Understand the various approaches ALMA members use to onboard and orient new employees.
• Discuss challenges currently faced.
• Collaborate on solution strategies, recommendations, and actual experiences.

This optional workshop will take place before the National Forum. There is limited capacity, and registration is required to attend. Lunch will be provided to workshop attendees.  

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

The Ranger servant-leadership model of “My Mission, My People, before Myself” is a mindset that is taught and lived by our decorated combat operators from the Special Operations community, Army Rangers and Special Forces commandos. The Battle of Mogadishu (Blackhawk Down) is still the most highly decorated single battle in the history of the United States military. The stories of selfless service are an opportunity for each leader in the audience to evaluate their personal leadership style, how it affects others, the organization, and the success of the mission. 

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Evaluate personal leadership style and identify areas for growth in fostering a mission-first, people-centered mindset.
• Apply servant leadership to organizational success that improves morale, performance, and overall business outcomes.
• Learn from real-world decision-making in critical situations and how these lessons can inform decision making in non-combat scenarios.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

Take me out to the ball game! Join us at Truist Field as we cheer on the Charlotte Knights against the Memphis Redbirds. We've got prime seats in the Piedmont Natural Gas Picnic Area, giving you a perfect outfield view of the action. Enjoy dinner, networking and America's favorite pastime. Gates open at 5:05PM, first pitch is at 6:05 PM. 

Truist Field is located 0.5 miles from the Westin Charlotte. If you prefer to ride the shuttle, it will pick up on E. Brooklyn Village Avenue. 

Casual Attire - Jeans and shorts are acceptable.

Enjoy a come-and-go breakfast before the General Session.

Chad Pregracke, president and founder of Living Lands & Waters, turned his vision of cleaning America’s rivers into action. His leadership has inspired over 125,000 volunteers to remove 10 million pounds of trash. 

In this engaging keynote, Chad will share his remarkable journey, offering real-world lessons in leadership, teamwork, and perseverance. Through powerful storytelling and firsthand experiences, attendees will walk away with a renewed sense of purpose, a fresh perspective on problem-solving, and the motivation to turn their own challenges into opportunities for impact. Whether you are leading a team, overcoming obstacles, or looking to make a difference, Chad’s message will leave you inspired, energized, and ready to take action. 

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Gain actionable insights on how to lead teams effectively, even in challenging or uncertain environments.
• Learn how collaboration and creating a sense of purpose within teams can lead to successful, large-scale projects.
• Develop concrete ideas on how to inspire and engage others to get involved and have influence.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

In 2020, the NBA Bubble set a gold standard for workplace safety by providing professional athletes with immediate access to top-tier physicians and advanced healthcare. What if injured maritime industry workers could benefit from the same level of care? In this session, we will explore how the NBA’s healthcare model can be adapted to improve worker injury management, accelerate recovery, and reduce long-term disability.

Drawing on insights from the NBA’s approach, Dr. Nwachukwu will demonstrate how elite medical access leads to better outcomes for workers in high-risk industries. Through AEU’s partnership with Best In Class MD, these premium services are now available to ALMA members, ensuring that injured workers receive exceptional care. Join us to learn how this innovative model is transforming workplace injury management and helping employees return to work faster and healthier.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Understand how the NBA Bubble established a safe and high-quality healthcare environment for athletes during COVID-19.
• Identify key components of elite athlete healthcare, including access to top-tier physicians and concierge services.
• Learn how these principles can enhance workplace injury management in the maritime industry.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

In any organization, human resources and safety functions have distinct priorities that can sometimes differ. Human Resources focuses on hiring a diverse workforce and ensuring fair access to opportunities for all candidates. The safety function, on the other hand, emphasizes ensuring that employees can safely perform job duties while minimizing the risk of injury. While these perspectives may approach hiring decisions from different angles, both are essential to building a strong, capable, and safe workforce.

Join us for a fast-paced, interactive discussion led by Albert Lee, a seasoned employment attorney, educator, and professional speaker. Albert will explore how employers can effectively balance these two viewpoints by providing insight into the legal framework that allows organizations to gather necessary information for safe hiring decisions while minimizing the risk of discrimination claims.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Achieve a better balance between the needs of human resources and safety functions.
• Understand the legal limitations surrounding information gathering during the hiring process, including what can be asked about a candidate's health history, when inquiries are appropriate, and how employers can use examinations or tests to verify a candidate’s ability to perform a job.
• Analyze situations in which workplace accommodations may be necessary.
• Recognize when an employer can deny employment or an accommodation request with minimal legal risk.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

In this breakout session, members of the AEU Loss Control Advisory Council will discuss key considerations for creating an employee safety recognition and incentive programs. We’ll share examples of successful incentive initiatives currently utilized by ALMA members and engage in an open panel discussion focused on effective strategies for launching such programs.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Learn to navigate common failure points that can derail safety incentive programs.
• Explore how collaboration between management and employees is crucial for program success.
• Assess whether your organization is primed for a safety incentive program and build a tailored framework for implementation.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

The AEU Safety Award Recognition Luncheon is held annually at our Spring National Forum, and is an excellent opportunity for representatives from AEU Safety Award-winning companies to be recognized by an audience of their peers. 

The luncheon will commence with a presentation by keynote speaker Mike Hourigan: When Good Intentions Fall Short: Communicating for Real Safety.

How often have you said, “That employee would not have gotten hurt if they followed the procedure” or, “We have safety posters everywhere, why don’t they read them?!” As safe as organizations want and try to be, incidents still happen. Most safety audits reveal communication issues were to blame and more often than not, good intentions were the culprit. Communicating a culture of safety can be difficult when demands on time and people increase, but it can be done if you are communicating safely. Mike Hourigan has worked in many dangerous environments including a steel mill, leather tannery, shoe factory, wire factory, and recreational vehicle plant. He saw how shortcuts and “work-arounds” injured people. He also saw how management’s safety philosophy, or lack of it, contributed to unsafe situations.

After Mr. Hourigan's presentation, AEU's leadership team will recognize the 2024 AEU Safety Award winners. When the luncheon concludes, a group photo will be taken. Individual winners will have an opportunity to take photos at that time as well. Photos will be shared aft the event.  

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

An inspirational leader with uncompromising ethical standards, Scott Waddle graduated at the top of his class at Annapolis. With 20 years of experience in the construction, maintenance, and operation of nuclear-powered submarines, in 1998 he was handpicked from a highly competitive field of 250 naval officers to command the improved Los Angeles class Fast Attack nuclear submarine USS Greeneville. As commanding officer of Greeneville, he managed a 140-man crew. On the fateful day of February 9, 2001, Commander Waddle’s life was forever changed when he gave the order to perform an emergency surface maneuver that inadvertently caused the 9,000-ton submarine to collide with the Ehime Maru, a 500-ton Japanese fishing vessel, killing nine people on board. Against the advice of his attorney and the Navy’s direction, he took responsibility for the incident.

Commander Waddle’s compelling story about a tragic ordeal and the choices that followed is a lesson about integrity, faith, and resilience.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Understand the role of ethical leadership in safety.
• Examine accountability and its impact on operations.
• Explore resilience in recovering from incidents.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

When a serious workplace injury occurs, it necessitates immediate action in both injury incident response and claims management. The decisions made in the critical hours and days following an incident can significantly influence medical outcomes, regulatory compliance, financial implications, and the overall resolution of the claim. This session will equip safety managers and company leaders with a structured approach to managing critical injuries, covering immediate response protocols, evidence preservation, regulatory reporting, and effective claims handling.

Panelists will share strategies for coordinating with AEU, minimizing claim costs, and ensuring that injured workers receive appropriate care. Real-world case studies will highlight potential pitfalls and showcase best practices for risk mitigation, litigation prevention, and supporting a successful return-to-work process.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Describe the critical first steps in injury response and scene management following a serious workplace injury.
• Identify key stakeholders, including claims managers, insurers, and regulatory bodies, and their roles in the response process.
• Demonstrate best practices for preserving evidence and documenting the incident to support claims and investigations.
• List proactive measures to reduce litigation risks and improve claim outcomes.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.

As organizations evolve, the demand for effective learning and development strategies is increasing. In this dynamic session, join AEU LEAD Director Joe White as he explores essential factors to consider when developing a comprehensive strategy. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to enhance existing programs, this session will provide a clear roadmap to success.

At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Identify the crucial starting points for building a robust learning and development strategy.
• Recognize key stakeholders involved and their roles in the process.
• Develop a practical action plan for seamless implementation.

Business Casual Attire - open collar or polo shirt. No jeans or shorts. No jacket required.