Founded in March 2026, the Columbia River Women’s Caucus is a new nonprofit supporting women working aboard tugs and towboats on the Columbia River. The group is led by Capt. Sasha La Greide (president), Capt. Megan Emerson (treasurer), Hannah Hill (secretary), and Alyssa Taylor (director) — a cross-section of the river’s tug and towboat industry, from wheelhouse leadership to deck and engineering roles. It was built around workforce development, mentorship, and industry outreach.

With only about four women currently working on tugs and towboats on the river, the Caucus aims to raise awareness of maritime careers and build a support network for women who are often the only woman aboard a small crew. Holding 501(c)(3) status, the group has taken part in career fairs and visited Job Corps programs, high schools, and colleges to show young people — especially women — that jobs aboard commercial vessels exist.

The Caucus works closely with national partner Sea Sisters but emphasizes its specifically local Columbia River focus, with its own bar crossing, licensing ecosystem, and history. Building on a regional legacy that traces back to Minnie Mae Mossman Hill — the river’s first licensed female captain in the late 1800s — the group is planning a scholarship fund and expanded outreach to reshape what the next generation of Columbia River mariners looks like.

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