摘要: |
Mourners and well-wishers formed a steady stream of visitors to the March 8 wake of Mike Rushing in Jackson, Mo. They were saying farewell to an inland waterways leader with a huge impact on the lives of many, many people, both within and outside the industry. Rushing knew the waterways business inside and out, having performed just about every job and function possible within the industry: starting out as a deckhand at age 12, pilot, captain, port captain, operations manager, vice president and founder of his own barge line. In one sense, Rushing exemplified a family-oriented river tradition, since he worked closely with his father and later his son in the industry. But he was always forward-looking, co-founding one of the first third-party organizations that help inland companies comply with Subchapter M regulations. |