Open Waters is a statewide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in Louisiana's maritime industry.
05/15/2026
We’re proud to be recognized as a finalist for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 2026 Morial Awards Corporation of the Year.
At OpenWaters Louisiana, we are committed to expanding opportunity, strengthening the maritime workforce and building a more sustainable future for our industry. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our mission!
We are proud to have once again partnered with , alongside fellow industry leaders from top maritime companies, for an impactful day of maritime workforce awareness in Baton Rouge, engaging more than 200 high school students.
We are grateful to all who joined us—especially legislative and government stakeholders—who recognize the strength of Louisiana’s maritime ecosystem and share a collective commitment to broadening access to career opportunities. Together, we are working to ensure the next generation is prepared to sustain and strengthen Louisiana’s position as a global leader in the maritime and logistics industry.
02/23/2026
OpenWaters Louisiana is proud to continue our outreach to young people of New Orleans through our partnership with , introducing them to the many opportunities within Louisiana’s maritime industry and cultivating the relationships that can set them up for success.
Last Saturday, OpenWaters Chairman Captain Lee Jackson, alongside New Orleans (District E), spoke with members of NORD’s Teen Council at the Milne Recreation Center, sharing insight into maritime career pathways and encouraging students to apply for our 2026 Summer Internship Program.
We look forward to continuing our work with NORD and to new opportunities to connect with young people throughout Greater New Orleans and across the great State of Louisiana. If you have a young person in mind for our internship program, encourage them to apply today: Link in Bio
02/04/2026
🚨NORD x OpenWaters Sanchez Pool Update 🚨
🏊♀️February Level 1 & 2 Swim Lessons — Spots Still Open!
Presented by the OpenWaters Maritime Career Development Program the Sanchez Indoor Pool (1616 Fats Domino Avenue).
📍 Register in person at Sanchez Pool, or
🖥️Online at OpenWatersLouisiana.com
📆 Class Dates: February 9–27
🗓️ Days: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays
🕔 Time: 5:00–5:45 PM
These beginner swim lessons build essential water skills while introducing families to the many opportunities connected to Louisiana’s maritime industry.
Our inaugural FirstWaters swim program, presented in partnership with the has officially wrapped!
Hear from parents and OpenWaters mentors on how early exposure to water builds confidence — and how that confidence can open doors to a future in Louisiana’s maritime industry.
Later this month, OpenWaters Louisiana and NORD will announce dates for our 2026 workshop series, continuing our mission to connect swimming and water safety with real career pathways in one of our state’s most vital sectors.
Louisiana’s waters shape our way of life and our work. But to unlock those opportunities, young people first need water skills and confidence.
Special thanks to our partners — , Sunrise Foods International and VentureGlobal LNG — for making this work possible.
There are individuals whose impact is so significant that words will never fully capture their legacy. A towering presence in Louisiana’s maritime community, Capt. Louis M. “Toby” Wattigney was a man of unwavering integrity, strength, and purpose. He was the embodiment of hard work — the kind that speaks for itself and never asks for credit.
He poured his energy into his craft, his colleagues, and, most of all, his family. His commitment to others was absolute. As a co-founding board member and visionary of OpenWaters Louisiana, Toby helped shape our mission to connect students—especially those from underserved communities—with the opportunities of the maritime industry he loved.
He believed in this work because he lived it. Every relationship he built and every lesson he shared reflected his vision for a stronger future along our river. His leadership, insight, and generosity left a lasting imprint on all of us. We are deeply saddened by his passing—and profoundly grateful for the example he set, the wisdom he shared, and the mentorship he provided to the next generation of maritime professionals.
We will carry his legacy forward — with heart, with integrity, and with purpose.
10/02/2025
We are grateful for the incredible response to the first swim session between OpenWaters and NORD—thank you to the 80+ families who signed up!
A representative will contact the first 24 applicants to confirm their participation. If a spot becomes available, we’ll reach out to the next person in line.
Everyone who did not make this first group will be automatically placed into one of the upcoming sessions, which we’ll be announcing in the coming weeks as part of a targeted swim and career-exploration initiative.
This is just the beginning: we’re excited to continue creating safe, meaningful, and opportunity-filled pathways for young people across New Orleans!
09/22/2025
OpenWaters Louisiana is proud to announce a partnership with the to expand their beginner swimming and water-safety program by introducing a new series of classes that will open doors to maritime careers. This important initiative connects local youth and their families to rewarding career pathways, while also addressing a key barrier—building comfort and confidence in and around water—that too often discourages people from pursuing jobs in the maritime industry.
This effort is made possible through support from our valued industry partners: , Venture Global LNG, and Sunrise Foods International. Together, we are committed to removing obstacles that prevent people from imagining a future in maritime fields and to providing direct access to high-growth, well-paying jobs that power Louisiana’s economy. We look forward to launching our first session and to an ongoing series at additional pools across New Orleans.
All participants will receive complimentary swim towels and career-roadmap informational packets as part of the program, along with the opportunity to build relationships with leaders from our partnering companies.
Please share this post with friends, family, and colleagues who may be interested in this unique experience and in learning more about the diverse opportunities available within our state’s vibrant maritime ecosystem.
Sign-up link in bio.
09/04/2025
Last week, OpenWaters Louisiana founding partners—the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association and the New Orleans–Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association—hosted a reception for the University of Louisiana System Maritime Board to celebrate its new partnership with the , creating a vital pipeline into maritime careers.
OpenWaters board members and mentors remain deeply committed to advancing workforce development initiatives in the state and supporting the launch of Louisiana’s first Maritime Academy through the UL System. We are proud to stand with industry partners to strengthen the state’s maritime workforce and look forward to welcoming new partners to our mission of expanding access to the hands-on, immersive mentorship experiences our industry has to offer.
04/09/2025
2025 is off to a strong start for OpenWaters Louisiana. From educational roadshows to conference panels, our mentors and Board Members have been actively sharing the OpenWaters mission and expanding our reach across the state. We’re especially grateful to the legislative leaders who continue to support our vision of building a stronger, more sustainable workforce—and empowering the next generation to explore the opportunities our industry has to offer.
At our latest outreach event, we joined We Work The Waterways at the Maritime Museum Louisiana in Madisonville, Louisiana, where we engaged directly with high school students to explore career pathways and lead a hands-on safety exercise.
We look forward to new partnerships, continued outreach, and the growth of our initiatives throughout 2025.