Page 26 - Port of Baltimore Magazine - July/August 2013
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The Port of Baltimore
■
July/August 2013
PORT
EVENTS
W
hile attempting to get a younger crowd excited
about career opportunities at Baltimore’s port,
it helps to have the enthusiastic support of
knowledgeable representatives from maritime-
related businesses and organizations. Of
course, dozens of Lego® ship models can’t hurt, either.
Visitors of all ages came to Canton Marine Terminal’s Pier 13
on May 18 as the Port of Baltimore observed National Maritime
Day and hosted its inaugural Maritime Expo and Career Fair. While
a ceremony paying special tribute to merchant marines occurred
onboard the 595-foot-long Nuclear Ship
Savannah
, the free, pier-
based expo and fair showcased about 30 businesses and agencies
that help make the Port the economic heart of Maryland.
“One of our goals was to let the public know about the Port’s
significant impact on the state’s economy and all of the incredible
work that’s being accomplished here,” said Capt. Eric Nielsen,
President of the Association of Maryland Pilots and Past President
of the Baltimore Port Alliance (BPA), both of which were among
the expo’s sponsors. “Another goal was to spread awareness,
particularly among younger people, of the many careers available
in the maritime industry.”
For the expo, “we were able to pull together a wide variety
of interests at the Port,” said Maizie Cummings-Rocke of the
Baltimore & Chesapeake Steamboat Company, another of the
expo’s sponsors. “The response was overwhelming.”
The water alongside Pier 13 was crowded with visiting ships
and local working boats, some of which were open for tours. The
event also included a display of about 50 ship models constructed
with Lego building bricks. Wilbert S. McKinley, Jr., TEACH FLEET
Program Director, started building with Legos in 2008 as a way to
help spark student interest in an after-school program in Baltimore
that focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and
mathematics). “Up until that time, I had never touched a Lego in
my life,” McKinley said. “The kids were so captivated that I kept
on doing it.”
By 2010, McKinley had completed about 40 models, some of
STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAISE WILLIG
MARITIME INDUSTRY
EXPO
SED
Inaugural Expo and Career Fair Build Public
Awareness of Port Opportunities
