News Release
FOR RELEASE - September 28, 2010
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-706-4714
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
"Pete Reixach, who has been in the port industry for 25 years, was elected chairman of the board through a vote last March of AAPA's board of directors, representing port officials throughout the Western Hemisphere," said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle. "Mr. Reixach has the experience, leadership skills, dedication and industry respect to advance our association's mission of connecting port communities with the global marketplace, and we look forward to his chairmanship for the coming year."
Mr. Reixach began his career with Port Freeport in 1985 as the port's assistant general manager. His emphasis on growth has played a large part in Port Freeport's emergence as one of the fastest growing seaports on the Gulf Coast and the 16th largest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign trade tonnage.
In addition to his role as AAPA board chairman, Mr. Reixach will serve as AAPA's U.S. delegation chairman for 2010-11. Other U.S. delegation officers include Chairman-Elect Jerry Bridges, who serves as executive director for the Virginia Port Authority; and Vice Chair Adolph N. Ojard, who is executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Representing AAPA's Canadian delegation, St. Johns (NL) Port Authority President and CEO Sean Hanrahan is the delegation's new chairman for the 2010-11 year, while Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert (BC) Port Authority, was named chairman-elect, and Gaétan Boivin, president and CEO of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (PQ), is the new vice chairman.
The Caribbean delegation chairman for 2010-11 is V. Victor O'Neal, managing director for the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority in Road Town, BVI. Sean Matthew, general manager for the St. Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority in St. Lucia, West Indies, was named chairman-elect.
For AAPA's Latin American delegation, Dr. Jorge Otharán, president of the Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto de Bahía Blanca, in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, was named the delegation's new chairman, while Mario Arbulú, president of the Empresa Nacional de Puertos (ENAPU) S.A., in Lima, Peru, was named vice chairman. Jenaro Sánchez, a member of the board of directors of the Instituto Costarricense de Puertos del Pacífico (INCOP), in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, is the delegation's new vice chairman.
Also during the five-day convention (Sept. 19-23), AAPA presented retiring Québec Port Authority President and CEO Ross Gaudreault with the association's Distinguished Service Award. AAPA's Executive Committee bestowed the honor on Mr. Gaudreault on behalf of all ports in the Western Hemisphere. This prestigious distinction recognizes a recipient's efforts, achievements and involvement in the development and enrichment of the Western Hemisphere's maritime and port industries, including the international cruise market.
At the annual awards luncheon on Wednesday during the AAPA convention, seven individuals were honored for having successfully completed one of the association's two Professional Port Manager (PPM®) programs. AAPA's original English-language PPM® program was established by the association in 1994 to encourage and promote professional standards in public port management. A complementary Latin American PPM® program, with curriculum in Spanish and programming more focused on the needs of Latin American port executives, was introduced in 2007.
Graduating in the original PPM® program were: Juan Kuryla, deputy port director for the Port of Miami; and Khalid A. Salahuddin, Sr., the Port of Miami's assistant port director.
Graduating in the Latin American PPM® program were: Alberto C. Carnevali, head of security and environment for the Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto de Bahía Blanca, in Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Edgardo Vinente Spagnolo, operations chief for the Bahía Blanca port; Maria Natalia Urriza, the Bahía Blanca port's administrative supervisor; Valentín Morán, general manager of the Bahía Blanca port; and Mauricio Suárez, general manager of the Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta S.A., in Santa Marta, Colombia.
