PortMiami supports Caribbean maritime scholarships at gala featuring PM Holness

PortMiami joined leading shipping and maritime organizations in supporting the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation's (ACMF) ninth annual Anchor Awards gala in South Florida, where Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness delivered the keynote address and industry leaders raised funds for Caribbean students pursuing maritime careers.

The event, held Thursday, November 5, at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, brought together executives, policymakers and maritime professionals to recognize contributions to the Caribbean's shipping, cruise tourism and logistics industries.

Held under the theme “Caribbean Maritime Professionals: The Backyard Advantage,” the gala highlighted the maritime sector's importance to regional economic development and the need to expand educational and career opportunities for Caribbean nationals.

PortMiami was among the event's sponsors, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening maritime partnerships with Caribbean and Latin American countries while supporting the development of the region's future workforce.

Among those attending were PortMiami CEO Jonathan Daniels; Tropical Shipping CEO Tim Martin; Caribbean Shipping Association representative William Brown; Port Everglades Association CEO Lori Baer; and Sonless Martin, PortMiami's global trade and business development representative responsible for Foreign Trade Zone initiatives and trade relations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The evening also honored two prominent maritime industry figures: Jamaican-born Marie McKenzie, senior vice president of government and destination affairs at Carnival Corporation, and Richard Scheff, senior partner at international law firm Faegre Drinker.

McKenzie was recognized for three decades of leadership in the cruise industry and her contributions to strengthening relationships between cruise operators, Caribbean governments, ports and local communities.

She joined Carnival Corporation in 1996 and currently oversees relationships involving more than 40 Caribbean ports regularly visited by the company's cruise lines.

Her work has focused on destination development, infrastructure investment and creating economic opportunities for communities connected to the cruise industry.

Speaking at the gala, Prime Minister Holness highlighted McKenzie's efforts to provide practical training opportunities for Caribbean maritime students.

He pointed to a recent visit aboard the Carnival Dream in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where more than 100 Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) participants, including 20 cadets, received firsthand exposure to cruise industry operations.

“Her willingness to open doors for cadets gives practical meaning to the opportunities we are discussing tonight,” Holness said.

Geneive Brown Metzger, president and executive director of the ACMF, also praised McKenzie's contributions to the industry.

“Marie McKenzie has been an indispensable bridge between the cruise industry and the Caribbean communities it touches,” Brown Metzger said.

“Her career is a blueprint for regional maritime professionals, and her leadership embodies the shared commitment needed to build a resilient, highly trained maritime workforce across our islands.”

The event also highlighted the ACMF's ongoing investment in maritime education throughout the Caribbean.

According to the foundation, it has invested more than US$3 million in over 600 scholarships and grants, helping students pursue careers in marine engineering, logistics, navigation, port management and other maritime-related fields.

Jamaican students have been among the leading beneficiaries of the foundation's programs.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, 105 students at the Caribbean Maritime University received ACMF scholarships and grants, representing nearly 80 percent of the foundation's 132 beneficiaries across the region.

The awards marked the largest group of CMU students to receive support from the foundation in a single academic year.

CMU President Professor Andrew Spencer has welcomed the longstanding partnership, noting that the foundation has supported the university's students for nearly a decade.

The foundation's beneficiaries have come from several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, The Bahamas, Grenada, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica.

Graduates supported through its programs have gone on to work in the cruise and cargo industries, ports, oil and gas operations, cybersecurity and border security.

Beyond scholarships, the ACMF provides grants, educational equipment and professional development opportunities aimed at helping Caribbean students transition into maritime careers.

Its initiatives include a Career Exchange Programme connecting students and graduates with employment and internship opportunities, as well as industry engagement activities designed to expose young professionals to careers in shipping, logistics and maritime operations.

The annual Anchor Awards serve as a major fundraising event for these initiatives, with proceeds supporting the ACMF Hope Fund, which finances scholarships and grants for aspiring maritime professionals.

This year's event was presented by Tropical Shipping, with support from major industry organizations including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corporation, King Ocean Services, Nassau Cruise Port, Arawak Port Development, PortMiami, Port Everglades and the Barbados Shipping Association.

For PortMiami, the sponsorship reflects the port's longstanding commercial relationships with Caribbean markets and its role in facilitating international trade and cruise tourism.

The port serves as a major gateway connecting the United States with Caribbean and Latin American markets, supporting the movement of cargo, cruise passengers and commercial goods throughout the region.

Its participation in the gala also underscores the importance of partnerships between ports, shipping companies, educational institutions and governments in developing a skilled maritime workforce.

As Caribbean countries seek to strengthen their logistics infrastructure and expand participation in international trade, industry leaders have increasingly emphasized the need for specialized training and greater access to maritime careers.

The ACMF's annual gala aims to help address those needs by connecting industry stakeholders with educational initiatives that prepare Caribbean students for opportunities in the global maritime economy.