American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Installs 2010-11 Officers

Freeport (Tex.) Port Director Named Board Chairman

Retiring Québec Port Authority CEO Receives Distinguished Service Award

Port Freeport (Tex.) Executive Port Director Armand J. "Pete" Reixach was formally installed on Sept. 23 as the American Association of Port Authorities' (AAPA) chairman of the board for 2010-11. Mr. Reixach accepted his new chairmanship duties at a membership meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, during which the entire slate of 2010-11officers was inducted as part of AAPA's 99th Annual Convention.

"Pete Reixach, who has been in the port industry for 25 years, was elected chairman of the board through a unanimous vote of AAPA's board of directors, representing port officials throughout the Western Hemisphere," said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle. "Mr. Reixach has the experience, leadership skills, dedication 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."

Mr. Reixach began his career with Port Freeport in 1985 as the port's assistant general manager. His emphasis on growth has played a large part in Port Freeport's emergence as one of the fastest growing seaports on the Gulf Coast and the 16th largest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign trade tonnage.

In addition to his role as AAPA board chairman, Mr. Reixach will serve as AAPA's U.S. delegation chairman for 2010-11. Other U.S. delegation officers include Chairman-Elect Jerry Bridges, who serves as executive director for the Virginia Port Authority; and Vice Chair Adolph N. Ojard, who is executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

Representing AAPA's Canadian delegation, St. Johns (NL) Port Authority Executive Director Sean Hanrahan is the delegation's new chairman for the 2010-11 year, while Don Krusel, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert (BC) Port Authority, was named chairman-elect, and Gaétan Boivin, president and CEO of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (PQ), is the new vice chairman.

The Caribbean delegation chairman for 2010-11 is V. Victor O'Neal, managing director for the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority in Road Town, BVI. Sean Matthew, general manager for the St. Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority in St. Lucia, West Indies, was named chairman-elect.

For AAPA's Latin American delegation, Dr. Jorge Otharán, president of the Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto de Bahía Blanca, in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, was named the delegation's new chairman, while Mario Arbulú, president of the Empresa Nacional de Puertos (ENAPU) S.A., in Lima, Peru, was named vice chairman. Jenaro Sánchez, a member of the board of directors of the Instituto Costarricense de Puertos del Pacífico (INCOP), in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, is the delegation's new vice chairman.

Also during the five-day convention (Sept. 19-23), AAPA presented retiring Québec Port Authority President and CEO Ross Gaudreault with the association's Distinguished Service Award. AAPA's Executive Committee bestowed the honor on Mr. Gaudreault on behalf of all ports in the Western Hemisphere. This prestigious distinction recognizes a recipient's efforts, achievements and involvement in the development and enrichment of the Western Hemisphere's maritime and port industries, including the international cruise market.

At the annual awards luncheon on Wednesday during the AAPA convention, seven individuals were honored for having successfully completed one of the association's two Profes­sional Port Manager (PPM®) programs. AAPA's original English-language PPM® program was established by the asso­ciation in 1994 to encourage and promote professional standards in public port management. A complementary Latin American PPM® program, with curriculum in Spanish and programming more focused on the needs of Latin American port executives, was introduced in 2007.

Graduating in the original PPM® program were: Juan Kuryla, deputy port director for the Port of Miami; and Khalid A. Salahuddin, Sr., the Port of Miami's assistant port director.

Graduating in the Latin American PPM® program were: Alberto C. Carnevali, head of security and environment for the Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto de Bahía Blanca, in Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Edgardo Vinente Spagnolo, operations chief for the Bahía Blanca port; Maria Natalia Urriza, the Bahía Blanca port's administrative supervisor; Valentín Morán, general manager of the Bahía Blanca port; and Mauricio Suárez, general manager of the Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta S.A., in Santa Marta, Colombia.

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.