News Release
FOR RELEASE - October 4, 2007
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-254-7098
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
NORFOLK, VA (Oct. 4, 2007) - Port of Longview (Wash.) Executive Director Kenneth B. O'Hollaren was formally installed today as the American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) Chairman of the Board for 2007-2008. Mr. O'Hollaren accepted his new chairmanship duties at a membership meeting in Norfolk, during which the entire slate of 2007-2008 officers were inducted as part of AAPA's 96th Annual Convention (www.portofvirginia.com/AAPAwebsite/aapa_main.html) activities.
During the five-day convention (Sept. 30 - Oct. 4), AAPA also presented three of its former board chairmen with Distinguished Service Awards, while a port executive from Texas received her Port Professional Manager (PPM®) certification.
"Ken O'Hollaren is well respected by his colleagues, having been elected chairman through a unanimous vote of AAPA's board of directors, representing port officials throughout the Western Hemisphere," said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle. "He has the experience, leadership skills and dedication 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. O'Hollaren has served as the Longview port's executive director since January 1988. He joined the port in 1980 as assistant operations manager, later becoming the assistant to the executive director. Prior to joining the port, he worked in Portland, Ore., as operations manager for Overseas Shipping Company and Evergreen Line.
Mr. O'Hollaren, who earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon in Political Science and Latin American Studies, and an M.B.A. from the University of Portland, is presently chairman of the Interstate Columbia River Improvement Project, a bi-state coalition of ports organized to deepen the Columbia River navigation channel. In addition to AAPA, he serves on the board of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council.
In his role as board chairman, Mr. O'Hollaren will also serve as AAPA's U.S. Delegation chairman for 2007-2008. Other U.S. Delegation officers include Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., as chair-elect, and Michael L. Leone, port director for the Massachusetts Port Authority, as vice-chair.
Representing AAPA's Canadian Delegation, Québec Port Authority President and CEO Ross Gaudreault was named that delegation's new chairman, while W.E. Mills, president and CEO of the Nanaimo (British Columbia) Port Authority, assumed the delegation's chair-elect position. Karen Oldfield, President and CEO of the Halifax (Nova Scotia) Port Authority was named vice-chair.
The Caribbean Delegation's chairman for 2007-2008 is Paul Hurlston, port director of the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands.
Lic. José Luis Iberri, general director of Mexico's Administración Portuaria Integral de Manzanillo S.A. de C.V., is the Latin American Delegation chairman for 2007-2008, while Armando Duarte, chairman of the Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta (Colombia), was installed as chair-elect. Alfonso Gil, Port Director of the Administración Portuaria Integral de Mazatlán, was named the delegation's 2008 vice-chair.
Periodically, AAPA presents Distinguished Service Awards to recognize individuals who have performed meritoriously on behalf of all of its member ports and for the enrichment of the maritime and port industries. At the convention's opening ceremonies on Tuesday, recently retired Virginia Port Authority Executive Director J. Robert "Bobby" Bray became AAPA's eighth Distinguished Service Award recipient, while retired Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority President Gary Failor received a Distinguished Service Award at the convention's awards luncheon yesterday. At today's convention luncheon, Dominic Taddeo, Montreal Port Authority's president and CEO-who will be retiring this month-became the latest Distinguished Service Award recipient, bringing to 10 the number of AAPA leaders ever to be awarded this prestigious honor.
Also at yesterday's awards luncheon, AAPA's Mr. Nagle and Capt. Domaas formally introduced Port Freeport (Texas) Managing Director Phyllis Saathoff as the Association's newest PPM® graduate, making her the 60th AAPA member to earn this sought-after title since the certification program began in 1995. Ms. Saathoff's PPM® thesis focused on emergency preparedness and continuity of operations at seaports.
Ninety-nine candidates are currently enrolled in AAPA's PPM® program.
