Vice President of Section Affairs Elect - Erin Donahue

Erin Daily Donahue is a Trade Commissioner responsible for ocean technologies and defense at the Consulate General of Canada in Boston. Since joining the Canadian Consulate team in 2005, Erin has held a variety of positions within both the Consular and International Business Development divisions. As part of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, she provides strategic market information and market access solutions for Canadian companies looking to export, invest abroad, or develop innovation and R&D partnerships in the U.S. She also assists U.S. companies planning to establish or expand their operations in Canada. A Massachusetts native, Erin graduated from Clark University with a BA in Government and International Relations.

Indicate one or two key goals that you hope to accomplish in this position over the next 3 years:
I believe the MTS Sections play an essential role in serving the Society’s current membership while expanding its reach. The MTS Sections serve as a front door for members and prospective members to engage with the Marine Technology Society by providing high quality programming and networking at the local level.

One goal I would have for my term would be to facilitate increased collaboration between Sections via knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices. I would seek to leverage the experience of the worldwide MTS community to better support local Section programming.

Discuss the qualities and experience you possess that make you a strong candidate for the position for which you are running:
As a Trade Commissioner, my role is to facilitate connections between a broad international coalition of marine technology companies, researchers, and government agencies. I work extensively with marine technology companies, particularly start-ups and scale-ups, to advise them on their international business development efforts and connect them to international customers, partners and investors.  I believe my expertise in building networks and establishing connections between international partners would be advantageous for the role of VP of Section Affairs.

I also have 20 years of  experience in organizing events and networking opportunities tailored to the interests of local and international attendees. I would bring to the role an understanding of how to develop programming that appeals to a diverse audience.