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AWO Elects New Chairman, Vice Chairman

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The members of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, elected Mr. Dale Sause as Chairman and Mr. Royce Wilken as Vice Chairman on Friday, April 7 during the AWO Spring Convention in Washington. Mr. Sause is President of Sause Bros., headquartered in Coos Bay, Oregon, and served as vice chairman for the past year. Mr. Wilken is President of American River Transportation Co., headquartered in Decatur, Illinois.

In his remarks to the AWO Board of Directors following his election as chairman, Mr. Sause said that his priorities will include: 1) Building a common vision with the U.S. Coast Guard in the ongoing process of establishing an inspection program for towing vessels; 2) Maintaining the integrity of the Jones Act; 3) Securing either judicial or legislative relief from the unconstitutional provisions of the Massachusetts state oil spill law; 4) Securing the passage of legislation to authorize new locks on the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterways System and working for appropriate funding for operations and maintenance on inland waterways projects; 5) Maintaining adequate flows on the Missouri River for navigation and reliability of the Mississippi River system; 6) Supporting federal ballast water legislation; 7) Expanding industry implementation of crew endurance management; and, 8) Increasing AWO member participation in grassroots industry advocacy.

Mr. Sause has been with Sause Bros. since 1976, first as Manager of Barge Operations, then becoming Executive Vice President of Operations in 1980, and President in 1984. He holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Washington, and a B.S. degree in economics and English from Willamette University. He also studied at the International College of Commerce and Economics in Tokyo, and took training in main propulsion systems with the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors.

Sause Bros. is a company with one of the most respected names in U.S. flag marine cargo transportation, with a fleet of over 60 modern, powerful tugs and barges. Known for its innovation, the company operates in the Pacific Northwest, Southern California and the Hawaiian Islands, transporting lumber, plywood, paper, petroleum products, chemicals, bulk commodities, containers, or oversized, overweight, cargoes. In addition, the company is the leading carrier of oil and chemical products in the Pacific Northwest.

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