U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer visited the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery in Cambridge on September 26, marking her 36th stop on the nationwide “America at Work” listening tour.
Chavez-DeRemer’s tour of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s (UMCES) Horn Point Lab, which supports the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster fishery and coastal resilience efforts, was guided by Hatchery Manager Stephanie Alexander and highlighted the hatchery’s role in the region’s oyster aquaculture industry as a key economic driver for Cambridge and the Shore.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer speaks with Horn Point Oyster Hatchery Manager Stephanie Alexander during her tour of the facility in Cambridge on September 26.
The visit aimed to demonstrate t he Department of Labor’s focus on workforce development, skilled trades, and economic growth through programs like the “Make America Skilled Again” grants, which fund apprenticeships and address local market demands.
“You really cannot understand what’s happening on the ground and how it affects the local economy, the everyday average worker in America, unless you can talk to them,” Chavez-DeRemer told the assembled press in the hatchery lobby.
The Secretary also discussed innovative solutions to bolster the sector. “I asked about 3D printing oyster shells,” Chavez-DeRemer said, inspired by coral restoration techniques she observed at Japan’s World Fair. “It’s those kinds of questions that I think about. How can we best fortify the industry?”
Michael Sieracki, director of Horn Point Lab, said separately that the lab is focusing on opportunities in the oyster fishery and coastal resilience projects, such as living shorelines and dredged material management at Poplar Island. The lab also fosters entrepreneurship, with five students currently translating scientific discoveries into business ventures, Sieracki said.
Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, president of UMCES, emphasized the economic impact of such research. “It allows us to share the connection between the science in our labs and the creation of jobs and the development of the economy in the state and beyond,” he said.
Feedback from the tour will shape workforce programs and federal grant decisions, Chavez-DeRemer said, adding that the Labor Department’s focus on jobs and training reflects the administration’s priorities of accountability, innovation, and community strength.
Horn Point receives significant funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is facing drastic cuts under the 2026 federal budget.
Asked how to stimulate the workforce amid potential cuts, Chaves-DeRemer said the department is “focused on preventing waste, fraud and abuse,” notwithstanding reports of the lab’s success in improving oyster populations in the Bay over the last 20 years.
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