During the Maritime Fire & Safety Association’s recent meeting of the Board of Directors, Mat Cusma, Director of Environmental Remediation with Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., was recognized and thanked for his years of service as Board President.

As part of this January’s MFSA Annual Member Meeting, Officers for the MFSA Board of Directors were nominated and elected by the Board. The slate for 2023 is as follows:
• Kent Cash, Port of Vancouver, President
• Geoff Owen, Port of Portland, Vice President
• Jori Templeton, TEMCO, Secretary/Treasurer

Kent Cash replaced Mat Cusma, who had served as President for the prior three years. Mat joined the MFSA Board of Directors in 2015, after the departure of Schnitzer Steel’s Jim Jakubiak who’d served for nearly a decade prior. Mat took the role of Vice President in 2017, holding it for three (3) years. He then elevated to the role of President in 2020.

Mat’s tenure would be colored by the impacts of COVID-19 on our industry as well as on Board activities. MFSA met the need by transitioning to virtual board meetings and working through enacting member business without being able to have an in-person meeting!

Despite the external challenges, Mat’s tenure was productive. He oversaw the development of a critical 96-hour Unplanned Exit Plan for the MFSA Executive Director position. The MFSA was able to remain financially strong during this time, which provided the opportunity to establish critical reserves for potential lean times in the future. Mat was a solid leader. His guidance during this period ensured MFSA’s continuing years of emergency response readiness. He always demonstrated a quiet confidence that influenced others.

Kent Cash, Chief Operations Officer for the Port of Vancouver USA, presented Mat with a plaque to commemorate his time as President.