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Tag: Maritime

TRP’s Louis Sola Discusses America’s Maritime Action Plan and Florida’s Economic Future

Posted on by Yury Salazar Smith

Thorn Run Partners’ Louis Sola joined Glenna Milberg on This Week in South Florida (WPLG) to discuss the recently released America’s Maritime Action Plan (MAP) and its implications for Florida’s economy and the broader U.S. maritime industry.

As a global hub for trade and the “Cruise Capital of the World,” Florida stands at the center of the Administration’s renewed focus on domestic shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and supply chain resilience. During the interview, Sola outlined key components of the MAP, including the proposed “Penny Tax” on foreign-built vessels, the creation of 100 Maritime Prosperity Zones to attract private capital, and the importance of aligning maritime policy with Western Hemisphere security priorities. He emphasized that while efforts to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding are long overdue, policymakers must ensure reforms do not unintentionally burden Florida’s tourism and cruise sectors.

Sola also highlighted the opportunity for Florida to leverage this federal roadmap to expand its technical workforce and attract high-paying shipbuilding and repair jobs back to American shores. With ports from Jacksonville to Miami playing a vital role in global commerce, thoughtful implementation of the Maritime Action Plan will be critical to ensuring long-term growth, competitiveness, and economic security.

Watch the full interview on WPLG’s This Week in South Florida here.

To connect with Louis and the rest of our Maritime and Logistics team, click here.

Thorn Run Partners Adds Former Federal Maritime Commission Chief of Staff Mary Thien Hoang as Partner

Posted on by Yury Salazar Smith

Hoang brings more than two decades of experience in maritime policy, international trade, and transportation.

For Immediate Release: January 15, 2026

Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301 (arosenberg@thornrun.com)

Washington, D.C. — Thorn Run Partners (“TRP”), one of the nation’s leading government affairs firms, announced today the addition of Mary Thien Hoang as a Partner. Mary will join the firm’s maritime practice and support clients across the maritime, logistics, transportation, infrastructure, and international trade sectors.

Mary joins TRP after more than a decade of senior leadership at the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), most recently serving as Chief of Staff. A trusted advisor to four successive Chairmen since 2013, including former FMC Chairman Louis Sola, whom she now joins at Thorn Run Partners, Mary helped guide the agency through periods of significant regulatory change, market disruption, and global supply chain challenges.

During her tenure at the FMC, Mary developed deep expertise in competition, compliance, and enforcement policies affecting international trade. She played a central role in implementing major rulemakings mandated by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 and in shaping U.S. international ocean shipping policy. Her experience at the Commission included senior legal and policy roles across enforcement, international affairs, compliance and consumer protection, and dispute resolution.

As a senior executive, Mary helped lead the agency’s response to unprecedented global supply chain disruptions, representing the Commission in high-level interagency initiatives advancing national priorities related to transportation, economic competitiveness, and infrastructure investment.

Prior to her federal service, Mary clerked for the Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division.

“Mary brings unparalleled institutional knowledge and policy expertise at a moment when maritime and supply chain issues are central to the national conversation,” said TRP Partner and former FMC Chair Louis Sola. “Her leadership and experience will immediately strengthen our ability to serve clients navigating complex political environments.”

TRP Co-Founder Chris Lamond added, “Mary’s depth of experience at the Federal Maritime Commission and her command of maritime, transportation, and trade policy make her a perfect fit for our firm. She will play a critical role as we continue to expand our maritime and logistics capabilities.”

The addition of Mary continues Thorn Run Partners’ strategic growth across key practice areas.

About Thorn Run Partners

Founded in January 2010 by veteran lobbyists Andrew Rosenberg and Chris Lamond, who previously served as staffers to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN), respectively, Thorn Run Partners is a full-service, 56-person government relations, policy and strategic communications firm with offices in Washington, DC, Portland, OR, and Los Angeles, CA. It has been recognized as a Top 10 lobbying firm by respected publications including Politico, The Hill, and Bloomberg that ranks among the nation’s most creative and effective government relations companies.