AAPA To Present Sen. Tom Carper 'U.S. Port Person Of The Year' Award

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) will be honored in Wilmington, Del., on Oct. 7 as the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) “U.S. Port Person of the Year” at a special luncheon given by the Port of Wilmington Maritime Society. AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle will present the award in recognition of Sen. Carper’s many contributions toward improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including its deep-draft navigation channels. The award also credits Sen. Carper for his work on enhancing U.S. port security and reducing harmful diesel emissions at seaports and other transportation facilities.

AAPA’s Port Person of the Year award is presented to honor 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.

“Senator Carper is one of our country’s leading public servants dedicated to advancing and growing the competitiveness of the nation’s transportation system and the maritime industry,” said Mr. Nagle. “His accomplishments in Congress, such as championing the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) of 2010, demonstrate that he’s an unwavering advocate of the port industry, of port communities, and of the 13.3 million Americans whose jobs are linked to port activities. His advocacy is enabling seaports to operate safely and efficiently while creating and sustaining good-paying jobs.”

A combat veteran, a U.S. senator since 2011, a two-term governor and a five-term U.S. congressman, Sen. Carper has served on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee since 2001, where he led efforts to increase port security in the wake of 9/11, and was instrumental in passage of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Also since 2001, he has served on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and where he was a conferee on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. In 2007 and 2008, he also served on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard, coastal zone management, transportation and highway safety, inland waterways, ocean navigation, safety and transportation, and the U.S. Merchant Marine.

Following the U.S. Port Person of the Year award presentation, Mr. Nagle will serve as the luncheon’s guest speaker on the topic of diesel emissions reduction grants. He will discuss the impacts of diesel emissions in the maritime communities, what U.S. seaports are doing to reduce harmful diesel emissions in and around their facilities, and the federal grant opportunities available to commercial operations looking to retrofit, repower, replace or refuel older diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.

WHO: U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

WHAT: Special luncheon in which Sen. Carper will receive the American Association of Port Authority’s 2011 “U.S. Port Person of the Year” award.

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 7, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon and award presentation will be followed by a presentation on “The Effect of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act on the Maritime Community,” by AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle.

WHERE: DuPont Country Club, 1001 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803

About AAPA

Founded in 1912, AAPA today represents 160 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 300 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. As a critical link for access to the global marketplace, each year, Western Hemisphere seaports generate trillions of dollars of economic activity, support the employment of millions of people and, in 2008, imported and exported more than 7.8 billion tons of cargo, valued at $8.6 trillion, including food, clothing, medicine, fuel and building materials, as well as consumer electronics and toys. The volume of cargo shipped by water is expected to dramatically increase by 2020 and the number of passengers traveling through our seaports will continue to grow. To meet these demands, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable.