Port of Oakland Chief Operating Officer Kristi McKenney has been named the port’s next executive director, making her the first woman to serve in the leadership role in the port’s 98-year history, it was announced Feb. 14.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners unanimously Feb. 13 voted to sign McKenney to a three-year contract, succeeding Danny Wan, who is expected to retire on Feb. 28.
McKenney, who began her career at the Northern California seaport as an environmental planner, has stepped into various roles at the port, including assistant aviation director, interim executive director and chief operating officer, a position she has held since February 2020.
McKenney earned her Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics from San Jose State University.
She was key in overseeing port operations in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as COO, she helped to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding for the port, the seaport said in an announcement.
“As a port veteran, Kristi McKenney will bring solid leadership and management skills to the position,” Wan said. “She will also bring continuity and stability to port operations which are essential to helping us build for the next generation.”
In the announcement, McKenney stated she was grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead during a transformative time at the port.
“I look forward to implementing the port’s five-year strategic plan that will help grow local employment and contracting opportunities and strengthen our economic base,” she said.
