Michael A. Smith
Port of Pascagoula
In 2012, I was approved to enter into the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Professional Port Manger (PPM) program. As part of the certification process, participants are required to do a two week residency at another port, agency or organization that is involved in port related activities. I decided to put together a residency that would take a look at national and regional navigation/ dredging issues. As such, I decided to spend a week at the AAP A headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia and to spend a week at a Corps of Engineers District office. In my case, I worked at the Mobile District office due to the proximity to the Port of Pascagoula and their relationship to area ports that have similar working environments to my Port.The Mobile District is also known for its expertise on local and regional dredging and placement implementation. Part of that time would be working with various professionals at the District and field offices. My goal was to use this time to evaluate how the national policies are perceived and implemented at the ground level.
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