Charting the Course for 2025: A Message from the MTS President
Happy New Year, MTS Members!
2025 is shaping up to be another exciting year for the Marine Technology Society, as we continue building on our incredible momentum. This past year we saw our membership grow significantly, reinforcing the strength of our community. As we continue to expand, we remain committed to our core mission: supporting innovation in marine technology, preparing the Blue Economy’s workforce of tomorrow, and serving as a global convener across academia, industry, and government. MTS is for members and has always been for members—and your engagement drives everything we do.
We have a full year ahead with some great events on the horizon. Mark your calendars for Oceans in Action 2025, MTS India: International Conference on AI for the Oceans, OCEANS Brest, the MATE ROV Competition World Championship, and OCEANS Great Lakes. These events provide extensive opportunities for personal networking, learning, and will showcase the latest advancements in marine technology.
Thank You, Justin Manley
A heartfelt thank you to Justin Manley, who is now transitioning to Past President, for his outstanding leadership and service to MTS. Under Justin’s guidance, our society has grown in remarkable ways: membership has increased 20%; we officially welcomed the MATE ROV Competition into MTS and the merging of two passionate communities; and we also saw the launch of the Ocean Enterprise Initiative, which continues to strengthen connections between government, academia, and industry. Justin, deepest appreciation and thanks for your vision and dedication—you are an inspiration to your colleagues, and are shaping an incredible legacy in everything that you have done and are still doing for MTS and the marine technology community.
Welcome New Board Members
I am delighted to welcome our newest Board Members!
- Dr. Gerhard, Kuska, President-Elect – Executive Director of MARACOOS, a leader in ocean observing and marine policy, bringing decades of expertise to MTS. Expect to see Gerhard at some of our key events this year in networking mode - please take the time to connect with him and share your ideas and thoughts.
- Hannah Toerner, VP of ECOPs – A dynamic early career professional with a background in ocean and coastal engineering, passionate about fostering the next generation of marine technologists. Welcome to the board Hannah!
And also a warm welcome back to both Katharine Weathers (moving on from VP of ECOP to a new role as VP of Sections) and Debbi Kill (remaining committed and involved in her role as VP of Budget and Finance) for continuing their service with second terms. We’re lucky to have you both – thank you.
Thank you to Our Volunteers
MTS thrives because of the dedication and passion of our volunteers. From organizing events to advancing our programs, your efforts make everything we do possible. Special thanks to those leading the charge in our MATE ROV Competition, Ocean Enterprise Initiative, and various Committees and Sections—so much value comes out of your commitments and we are all proud to have so many amazing people driving our success.
A Little About Me
For those I haven’t had the chance to connect with yet, I come to MTS with 25 years of experience in the ocean sector across private and non-government scaleup roles spanning deeptech, federal innovation portfolio building, oil and gas, cleantech, marine safety, boating, and applied ocean research. I’m currently Chief Innovation Officer of Oneka Technologies, a world leader in wave-powered desalination, and Vice-Chair of the Marine Environmental Observation and Response (MEOPAR) network. I initially got involved with MTS during my 6-year tenure with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster as their founding CTO. I love developing ocean tech and supporting ocean tech commercialization and am both excited and humbled in taking on this assignment.
Looking Ahead
It’s an honor to step into this role at such a dynamic time for MTS. We are growing, evolving, and enhancing the way we serve our members. Stay tuned for more —we’re pivoting this monthly newsletter to share even more stories of innovation, member engagement and impact in our monthly newsletters from a diverse set of leaders going forward. Our goal is to highlight the incredible contributions of MTS volunteers and leadership throughout the year.
Thank you for being part of this incredible community. I look forward to working with all of you to keep MTS moving forward in 2025 and beyond!
Susan Hunt, President | Marine Technology Society