This award is made in recognition of an individual or individuals whose outstanding work or service has made a significant contribution to public port authorities and/or maritime commerce in the Western Hemisphere. Nominees may be recognized for positive contributions with international impact or for benefits to ports within a country or region.
Nominees may include government officials, trade or transportation industry leaders, or any other individual who has made a significant contribution to advance the priorities of the public port community (examples: free trade, infrastructure investment, technological advances, etc.). Generally, nominees will not be members of the public port community itself, but friends and allies.
Active members of the Association are not eligible for nomination.
One individual from each of AAPA’s four delegations (Canadian, Caribbean, Latin American and the United States) may be honored, with as many as four Port Persons of the Year presented in any year. The award(s) may be shared by more than one individual in recognition of joint efforts. If no suitable candidates exist, one or more of the awards will not be presented.
The awards may be awarded posthumously.
In order for individuals to be considered for AAPA’s Port Person of the Year Award, those submitting the nomination must write at least one paragraph on each of the following criteria.
The AAPA Board will review the nominations and determine to whom, if anyone, the awards will be presented each year.
U.S. Department of Transportation
2022 – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) – AAPA Port Person of the Year Awardees
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) – AAPA President’s Award for Legislative Leadership
2021 – U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)
2020 – R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
2019 – U.S. Representative Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL)
2018 – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
2017 – U.S. Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA)
2016 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID)
2015 – U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) (U.S. Port Person of the Year); Lic. Guillermo Ruiz de Teresa, General Coordinator of Mexican Ports and Merchant Marine (Latin American Port Person of the Year)
2014 – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
2013 – U.S. Representative Janice Hahn (D-CA) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)
2012 – U.S. Representative John L. Mica (R-FL)
2011 – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
2010 – Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (U.S. Port Person of the Year); The Honorable David L. Emerson, P.C., Former Minister of Industry, International Trade, Foreign Affairs for the Government of Canada (Canadian Port Person of the Year)
2009 – U.S. Representative Jane Harman (D-CA)
2008 – U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
2007 – His Excellency Martin Torrijos, President of the Republic of Panamá
2006 – U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins (R-ME)
2005 – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta
2004 – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
2003 – U.S. Representative James L. Oberstar (D-MN)
2002 – U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick
2001 – U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA)
2000 – U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
1998 – Canadian Member of Parliament Stan P. Keyes
1997 – U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR)
1995 – U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor
1994 – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña
AAPA’s Distinguished Service Award is presented for dedicated efforts on behalf of all ports in the Western Hemisphere and the enrichment of the maritime and port industries.
Recipients
2024 – Gary Nelson, Port of Grays Harbor
2024 – Mark McAndrews, Port of Pascagoula (retired)
2019 – Steve Cernak, Port Everglades (posthumously)
2019 – Kurt Nagle, American Association of Port Authorities (retired)
2016 – Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans
2014 – Dr. Bory Steinberg, Steinberg & Associates
2014 – Tay Yoshitani, Port of Seattle (retired)
2011 – Richard Steinke, Port of Long Beach
2011 – Agustín Díaz, Curaçao Ports Authority (retired)
2010 – Ross Gaudreault, Port of Québec
2009 – H. Thomas Kornegay, P.E., PPM, Port of Houston Authority (retired)
2007 – J. Robert Bray, Virginia Port Authority (retired)
2007 – Gary Failor, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (retired)
2007 – Dominic Taddeo, Montréal Port Authority (retired)
2002 – Lillian Borrone, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (retired)
2001 – David Bellefontaine, Halifax Port Authority (retired)
2000 – Charles M. Rowland, Canaveral Port Authority
1999 – Frank G. Martin, Jr., Indiana Port Commission
1994 – Dr. Willis Pequagnat, IAPH and London Dumping Convention
1993 – Professor Thomas J. Dowd, University of Washington
1992 – J. Kerwin Rooney, Port of Oakland and AAPA General Counsel
Individual recipients must have served on one or more of AAPA’s technical or policy committees for a minimum of ten years, two years as a committee chairman, and have ten years of port management experience. As a committee chairman, he or she must demonstrate outstanding leadership and compile a record of noteworthy accomplishments.
2014
John Mohr, Port of Everett2013
Frank Hamons, Maryland Port Administration2002
Davis Helberg, Duluth Seaway Port Authority1999
James J. O’Brien, Port Everglades1996
W. Don Welch, South Carolina State Ports Authority1995
Hugh Welsh, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Jerry Franks, South Carolina State Ports Authority
Sergio Majul, Empresa Portuaria de Chile1993
Robert W. Goethe, Georgia Ports Authority1992
Charles E. Roberts, Port of Oakland1988
Henry E. “Hank” Soike, Port of Grays Harbor
Don Mosman, Port of Los Angeles1987
Lloyd Anderson, Port of Portland
Oury Selig, Port of Galveston
Alfred Hammon, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey1985
Edward S. Reed, Port of New Orleans
Herbert R. Haar, Jr., Port of New Orleans
Melvin Shore, Port of Sacramento
W. Gregory Halpin, Maryland Port Administration1984
Franklyn W. Donahue, Port of Palm Beach
Clifford B. O'Hara, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey1983
Vernon L. Lungren, Port of Seattle
Francis A. “Art” Mulhern, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
G. Luther Rosebrock, South Carolina State Ports Authority
