Ann Avary is Director of the Northwest Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology for Washington State, hosted at Skagit Valley College. With more than 20 years of experience working with the maritime industry, standards organizations, and state and national partners, she leads statewide efforts to strengthen maritime education and workforce pathways.

Ann serves as project manager for the MAC Welding Project and leads initiatives that integrate industry standards, technologies, and best practices into classrooms and labs. She convenes a 250+ member statewide maritime stakeholder network and serves on the boards of Maritime Blue, the Washington Maritime Federation, and the Marine Trades Accreditation Program Commission.