St. Bernard Port, Associated Terminals, and Turn Services hold “Who Works the Rivers”
Jeanne E. Ferrer, a River Boat Pilot with the Creescent River Port Pilot Association, discussies how important the maritime industry is to St. Bernard Parish. Ferrer also sits on the St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District board as the President.
The St. Bernard Port and Associated Terminals participated in Who Works the Rivers, an activity-based program that teaches teens the importance of the St. Bernard Port and its career opportunities. Who Works the Rivers took place at Chalmette High School on March 24, 2023, where 3 groups of 30 seniors were asked about their familiarity of the port. This was led by Associated Terminals’ Vice President of Public Relations Dawn Lopez, who then directed them to a short video explaining career development and income levels. Capt. Jeanne E. Ferrer, a river boat pilot with the Crescent River Port Pilot Association, and the current president of the port’s Board of Commissioners, discussed the maritime industry and how valuable it is that we have the Mississippi River in St. Bernard’s backyard. This is because most if not all, transport goes through the Mississippi river and St. Bernard port sits along it. Drew Heaphy, the Executive Director of the port, shared his knowledge of the port with a brief PowerPoint presentation including the 10 million tons of cargo that were handled last year.
Drew M. Heaphy, St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal’s Executive Director telling the Chalmette High students the history of the port.
Thomas Cagle, the Vice President of HSSE and Training, shows the importance of wearing your protective gear while at work—no matter how many times an accident hasn’t happened.
After Mr. Heaphy’s presentation, the students were greeted by Roy E. Vance II, a captain with the Crescent River Port Pilots Association, who explained the benefits, levels of employment, and income that one can earn from working on the river. Darryion Osborne, Turn Services (the sister company of Associated Terminals) career coordinator, explained how to land an interview with Turn Services and what it takes to possibly get the job. Her tips included a well written resume on clean white paper, appropriate attire for the in-person interview, and eye contact. After listening to what it’s like to work on the river, the students headed to the gym lobby; from there they participated in activities that furthered their understanding of working on the river and the safety aspects behind it. Thomas Cagle, the Vice President of HSSE and Training, made an exciting (and jump-scare inducing) show of the dangers of not wearing your safety gear while on the river, (four words: watermelon and baseball bat) and how to properly wear it. The other activities included a life ring toss, and a cookie game where the students guessed where different ingredients that make a cookie originated from. The purpose of the game was to demonstrate that something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie takes the world to produce, and that global commerce is a huge part of our lives.
Afterwards, many students expressed their gratitude for the event, and some even looked deeper into employment opportunities. Actively listening to teens as they share their career choices not only lets them know that what they’re interested in matters, it also paves the way for the future economic development of St. Bernard Parish. For more information on the St. Bernard Port and Associated Terminals, visit their websites, @www.stbernardport.com, associatedterminals.com, and turnservices.com
Article and photos by Lauren A. Maupin
