Tropical Shipping Hosts Disaster Preparedness Workshop
Beyond the Storm: Strengthening Private-Public Partnership Resiliency
St. Johns, Antigua – Tropical Shipping showed its commitment to island life Wednesday by hosting a disaster management workshop. More than 80 representatives from emergency service agencies, businesses, tourism organizations, as well as the Honorable Rawdon Turner, Minister of Social and Urban Transformation, took part in the half-day session. The goal was simple: build private-public partnerships now to enhance Antigua’s resiliency after a disaster strikes.
“Building strong relationships before disaster strikes lays the foundation for a resilient future,” said Tamara Lowe-James, Tropical Shipping’s Island Manager for Antigua and Barbuda. “Collaboration between Antigua’s private and public sectors is the key to successful disaster management.”
Partners and organizations that attended the workshop included:
· Honorable Rawdon Turner, Minister of Social and Urban Transformation
· Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
· Antigua and Barbuda Sea Port Authority
· Preparedness and Response Manager, National Office of Disaster Services (NODS)
· Mario Colindres, Chamber of Commerce
· Professor Roy Watlington, University of Virgin Islands
· Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA)
· Antigua Barbuda Hotels & Tourism Association (ABHTA)
Tropical has held annual disaster preparedness workshops throughout the Caribbean for more than 25 years. The sessions focus on how communities can develop recovery plans so businesses, schools, and governments can resume operations after a major hurricane or event.
“Disaster management is not just a government responsibility — it is a shared duty across every sector of society,” said Honorable Rawdon Turner, Minister of Social and Urban Transformation. “By investing in preparedness and building resilient communities, we not only protect lives but also safeguard our economic future and regional stability.”
Tropical was recently exempted from new port fees imposed by the Trump Administration, a huge relief to the Caribbean market it serves. The workshops are important to strengthen the region, so a natural disaster does not devastate its economy. Tropical has additional disaster management seminars scheduled on other islands this year.
“Part of our company’s mission is to support the health and well-being of the Caribbean before, during, and after a natural disaster,” said Tropical Shipping President Tim Martin. “When we say, ‘we’re committed to island life,’ we mean it, and providing these workshops is that commitment in action.”
Tropical Shipping is headquartered in Riviera Beach, Florida, and has served the Caribbean market since 1963. Tropical’s transportation services include refrigerated, dry, Full-Container-Load (FCL), Less-than-Container-Load (LCL), small package, consolidation, inland transportation, and global logistics services. For more information about Tropical Shipping, visit: Tropical.com
Group photo (Tropical Partners) caption from left to right:
Craig Cole (Deputy Director, NODS)Anderson Tuitt (Preparedness and Response Manager, NODS)
Craig Marshall (Chairman, ABHTA)
Tamara Lowe- James (Island Manager, Tropical Shipping)
Rick Murrell (Retired President/CEO, Tropical Shipping)
Elizabeth Riley (Executive Director, CDEMA)
Jennifer Nugent Hill (Senior Director Government Affairs, Tropical Shipping)
Mario Colindres (President, ABCCL)
Professor Roy A. Watlington (University of the Virgin Islands)
Vayia Gekas (Government Affairs Administrator, Tropical Shipping).