OCEANS 2022 in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is just a few weeks away and the MTS community is buzzing with excitement. OCEANS is a perennially impactful event, and this year promises to be as energetic and exciting as ever. Building on the success of our in-person and virtual programming at OCEANS 2021, we again look forward to welcoming remote and on-site participation from our members, exhibitors, and the broader marine technology community!

I joined MTS six months ago, humbled at the opportunity to lead such a venerable institution and excited by the incredible strategic opportunities at our doorstep. To better understand how we could deploy an organizational strategy to best serve you, the MTS membership, I’ve spent most of my time thus far visiting with folks throughout our community. I’ve asked questions and sought to deeply listen to your thoughts and reflections. I’m grateful for the candid and open feedback that our staff, board, and members have shared about the future of MTS.

Inspired by countless video and phone conversations, 100+ survey responses, and dozens of in-person discussions at meetings, workshops, and conferences, I’m more excited than ever – at the strength of our membership, the value people place on the work MTS does, and our ability to evolve the Society to better serve you and the global marine technology industry. 

Over the coming months, our MTS headquarters team will start to deploy new initiatives, upgrades to flagship activities, and tools to enhance our value proposition. We have heard your feedback, we better understand your needs, and we are actively making strides to elevate your experience. You may have already noticed some changes – including updates to the layout and content in Currents – and more are on the way. 

Every year at OCEANS we celebrate the recent successes of members and our community, and we connect to explore how best to partner, collaborate, and make a difference going forward. In this regard, OCEANS 2022 will be extra special. 

In just two weeks MTS will release a special announcement about an incredible new endeavor the Society is undertaking – one that will expand our community, strengthen member connections, enrich our section activities, and allow MTS to double down on our mission to elevate, enrich, and advance marine technology throughout the global community. 

I look forward to sharing this news, and my excitement, with you all next month. 

See you at OCEANS,

Chris Ostrander, MTS Executive Director