Leslie Widmann Re-elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the La Rochelle Regional Maritime and Aquaculture High School
It was during its first virtual board meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2020, that the Board of Directors of the La Rochelle Regional Maritime and Aquaculture High School (LMA) re-elected Leslie Widmann as its president.
Her first two-year term was coming to an end, marking the conclusion of this national pilot program, which had been jointly decided by the Ministry of Ecology and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region (the school’s dual governing bodies) as a national experiment.
Of the 12 French maritime high schools, only the one in La Rochelle had chosen to separate the role of General Director from that of Chair of the Board of Directors and to entrust the latter to a qualified individual from civil society. The results of the La Rochelle pilot program should enable other French maritime high schools to adapt their governance structures to this innovative model.
Thus, while maritime professions represent the future in a rapidly evolving economic landscape, and gender equality must be upheld in all fields, this reelection marks a first.
Director of Odyssée Développement, a maritime economics consulting firm she founded 20 years ago (a subsidiary of the Elcimaï Group), Leslie Widmann specializes in the organization of maritime vocational sectors, particularly in matters of employment, training, and integration. Through the renewal of this term, she is putting her experience and skills to work in promoting and developing the LRMA and supporting young people interested in maritime careers.
A lecturer at the University of La Rochelle since 2005, she teaches on the role of maritime professions—as elements of “living heritage”—in a Master’s II program focused on e-tourism, new technologies, and heritage.
A specialist in the fishing sector, Leslie Widmann served as Director of Development for the Port of La Cotinière from 1994 to 1999 (96 small-scale fishing vessels, 350 seafarers, 5,500 tons, €25 million in revenue in 2019). She promotes the role of women in maritime professions and hopes that the Lycée Maritime de La Rochelle will serve as a model in welcoming young women and young people from diverse backgrounds in all their forms.
When asked by the board members during the Maritime High School’s most recent Board of Directors meeting about her role as President, Leslie Widmann stated that despite the exceptional circumstances currently facing educational institutions, the Lycée Maritime de La Rochelle, bolstered by the dedication of its technical, teaching, and administrative staff, remains committed to resuming in-person classes and that her efforts will focus on supporting the staff by championing the school’s mission and the values of her team.
About the La Rochelle Regional Maritime and Aquaculture High School
Under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, the LMA is one of 12 French maritime high schools specializing in training for careers in the maritime and coastal sectors. Founded 60 years ago, the LMA was the first high school to offer training for careers in marine aquaculture within the network of public educational institutions under the Directorate of Maritime Affairs.
This high school, located right on the waterfront, prepares 200 students each year—from middle school through secondary maritime education diplomas in initial training (CAP, BEP, BAC PRO, and BTS) and 350 adult trainees for the maritime certifications required for coastal navigation through continuing education (50,000 hours). It also provides training for certain maritime-related professions (fishmonger, seafood shop clerk). A survey conducted by the Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Seafarers in 2005 showed that five years after graduating from high school, 94.5 % of alumni had found employment, 82 % of them in the maritime sector, with higher pay than a land-based job requiring equivalent qualifications. The LMA continues its efforts to increase female enrollment (currently less than 10 % female students).
The LMA has been led for the past four years by Pierre-Yves LARRIEU, a Professor of Maritime Education and an officer in the French Navy.
Learn more : www.lycee-maritime-larochelle.com