News Release
FOR RELEASE - November 1, 2012
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
(703) 684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
Armando Duarte-Peláez, a longtime board member of Colombia’s Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta, was formally installed on Oct. 25 as the American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) chairman of the board for 2012-13. Sr. Duarte accepted his new chairmanship duties at a membership meeting in Mobile, Ala., during which the entire slate of 2012-13 officers was inducted as part of AAPA's 101st Annual Convention.
“AAPA’s new chairman, Armando Durate-Peláez, is a strong advocate for integrating all Western Hemisphere ports under the collaborative AAPA ‘umbrella’ to give them a unified, international voice in maritime- and transportation-related issues,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA president and CEO. “Señor Duarte, who has an impressive history of port and international trade experience, was elected chairman of the board in a March 2012 vote of AAPA's board of directors, representing port officials throughout the Americas. He has the knowledge, leadership skills, enthusiasm 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."
Sr. Duarte is also owner and president of Association Dupela- Duaga Ltda., C.I., a mining developer as well as a freight transportation consultant and provider in Colombia.
Installed as AAPA’s U.S. delegation chair for 2012-13 was Adolph N. Ojard, executive director for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, in Duluth, Minn. Tay Yoshitani, the Port of Seattle’s executive director, assumed the role of chair-elect, while Port of San Diego Executive Director Wayne Darbeau became the delegation’s new vice chairman. Mr. Ojard will also chair AAPA’s U.S. Legislative Policy Council
Representing AAPA's Canadian delegation, Gaétan Boivin, president and CEO of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (PQ), was installed as chairman; and Bernie Dumas, president and CEO of the Nanaimo Port Authority (BC), became the delegation’s new chair-elect.
Leading AAPA's Latin American delegation as president is Alejandro Couttolenc, gerente de comercialización for Administración Portuaria Integral de Veracruz, México. The delegation’s vice chair is Rodolfo Sabonge, vice president of market research & analysis for the Panama Canal Authority, in Panama.
For the Caribbean delegation, Orlando Forbes, port director for the Freeport Harbour Company (Bahamas), will serve as the 2012-13 chairman.
Also during the five-day convention (Oct. 21-25), AAPA and American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) signed a memorandum of cooperation, committing the two associations to join forces to build greater awareness of the need to significantly boost federal investment in the nation’s ports and waterways infrastructure. The strategic partnership agreement calls for participation in each others’ committee meetings and policy discussions; to share technical best practices; exchange information through newsletters and reports; and jointly advocate for members of Congress to develop and pass legislation that favorably impacts ports and waterways.
