April 24, 2026
I hope everyone had a great Easter and was able to spend time with family. I recall that when I worked as a Marine Deputy, Easter typically marked the kickoff of “boating season” in North Florida. It was time to get all my equipment out of the shop and prepare for the busy months ahead. I understand that “boating season” starts a bit later for those of you in northern regions here in the US and Northern Europe, but here in the southern United States and South America, it’s already in full swing. With that in mind, I wish all of you a safe and productive boating season this year.
IAMI is off to a great start in 2026. As expected, we have the right people in the right positions. Unfortunately, we had to postpone our joint training with NASBLA, but we look forward to making it an outstanding opportunity next year. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for upcoming midyear webinar trainings that will be announced soon. We also have exciting plans this fall for our 2nd Annual Advanced Fire Investigation Training (AFIT). This class fills quickly, so be sure to register early to secure your spot.
I’d also like to briefly address the cost of our Annual Training Seminar (ATS). We’ve worked hard over the years to keep training affordable. While we had to implement a slight price increase this year, our program remains very competitively priced compared to similar offerings. This is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. I encourage you to consider them when you need the services or equipment they provide. Doing business with trusted partners you know personally is always a smart choice.
If you own a business, work for a company, or know someone who might be interested in sponsoring our ATS—particularly for our upcoming event in New Orleans—please let me know. We would be happy to share a sponsorship prospectus. Many potential sponsors may be willing to support us but simply haven’t been asked. And when you see our sponsors, please take a moment to thank them—they play a vital role in keeping our training affordable.
You may notice that our committee structure looks a bit different this year. Based on feedback from the Nomination Committee at the ATS, we’ve added an International Committee. I’m excited about the opportunities this presents as we expand our training and resources beyond the United States. We are also exploring ways to offer CEU approvals for law enforcement, similar to what we currently provide for our insurance members. While this will take time, we are committed to making it happen.
We’re also pleased to welcome several new Associate Board Members:
- Andrew Ball, Founder & Managing Director of Mainstay Consulting Group Ltd (British Virgin Islands), who will serve on the International Committee
- Brooke Leitch, Assistant Vice President with Tower Hill Insurance Group, who will support the CEU Credit Committee
- Matt Majors, Lieutenant Colonel with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Vice Chair of NASBLA’s Executive Board, who will contribute to the Training Committee
- Jacob Strickland, Investigator with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Jacob will be working with the Membership Committee.
These individuals bring valuable experience and insight, and I ask you to join me in welcoming them to our leadership team.
Finally, I wish you all a successful and productive year ahead. Please consider saving the dates for our upcoming events, and be sure to mark your calendars for the Annual Training Seminar in New Orleans. Your Board is working diligently to make it one of our best events yet.
Thanks,
Chris Castelli CMI
President
International Association of Marine Investigators