News Release
FOR RELEASE - April 6, 2005
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-684-5700

American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org

Port Association Awards Corps Civil Works Deputy Director 'Career Achievement Award'

U.S. Army Corps’ Thomas F. “Fred” Caver Jr. Receives Tribute for Significant Port Industry Contributions During Long Career

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  (April 6, 2005) — The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the organization representing public ports throughout the Western Hemisphere, at a special event yesterday during its annual Spring Conference, presented retiring U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Deputy Director Thomas F. “Fred” Caver, Jr., with a Career Achievement Award.  The award honors Caver’s many contributions to the port industry during his nearly 36-year career with the Corps.

“Among his many contributions, Deputy Director Caver has been instrumental in helping implement AAPA’s Quality Ports Initiative between the Corps of Engineers and the U.S. public port industry,” said Kurt Nagle, referring to the Association’s efforts to make substantial improvement in the partnership between U.S. seaports and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “This partnership is crucial to ensure our nation’s navigation infrastructure will be able to handle the future growth in domestic and international shipping volumes that are already straining our ports, harbors and waterways.”

In his current role, Caver assists the Corps’ Civil Works Director in managing and directing the programming, planning, design, construction, operations, maintenance and dredging activities of the Army Civil Works’ $5 billion annual program.

Previously, Caver served as Chief of the Corps’ Programs Management Division in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for proposing the scope, direction, content and options for the Civil Works’ entire long-range and annual programs.  He also coordinated the justification and the defense of program resource requirements and oversaw its implementation.

“Prior to coming to Washington, Fred Caver spent many years in the Lower Mississippi Valley Division at Vicksburg, helping the public port industry by planning and designing critically needed navigation projects and, particularly, by providing the leadership to make those projects a reality,” remarked Nagle.  He added that Caver’s staunch advocacy for ports within the Administration and to Congress occurred at perhaps the most trying time in Corps history, “which made his achievements and his tenure with the Corps all the more remarkable.”

AAPA Chairman Gary LaGrange, who also serves as president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, presented the Career Achievement Award to Caver. More than 200 legislators, governmental staff members and port industry leaders took part in the Spring Conference event, which ran April 4-5.