Newsmakers

Port of Portland Taps Branam as New Trade, Economic Development Officer The Port of Portland has selected Kimberly Branam as its new Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer (CTEDO). Her first day in the role was Sept. 30. Since 2016, Branam served as executive director for Prosper Portland, where she oversaw the leadership and management of the city’s economic and urban development agency. Before that, Branam was Prosper Portland’s deputy director for five years. Branam arrived at Prosper Portland after spending four years leading economic development for the city of Portland. During this time, she oversaw the development, adoption and…

Newsmakers

PMSA’s Grubbs Elected to Containerization & Intermodal Institute Board Pacific Merchant Shipping Association Vice President Michele Grubbs has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII), a not-for-profit organization committed to supporting and promoting the business of international trade and the intermodal transportation community. CII announced her election July 24. Grubbs has been with PMSA since 2004, overseeing its Long Beach office. PMSA, an independent nonprofit association, represents ocean carriers, marine terminal operators, and the maritime industry on the U.S. West Coast. It advocates for owners and operators of marine terminals and vessels, actively…

Coast Guard Cutter Healy Departs Seattle for Months-Long Arctic Deployment

U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy departed Seattle in mid-June for a months-long Arctic deployment during which it is supporting scientists conducting three distinct science missions. The first mission was for the Arctic Observing Network, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The cutter serviced subsurface moorings in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska and conducted a broad-scale survey of the boundary current system from the Bering Strait to the western Canadian Arctic. The program, ongoing for more than two decades, aims to improve understanding of the Pacific Arctic ecosystem in a changing climate. Ancillary programs include measurements of harmful…

Newsmakers

Robinson Named Vice President of Vigor Fabrication Jayson Robinson has been named Vigor’s Vice President of Fabrication, taking the helm of the complex and marine fabrication divisions with facilities in Clackamas and Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. Robinson joined Vigor, a Titan Acquisition Holdings company, as the director of quality in 2018 and has been serving as the assistant vice president since last fall. He now assumes the responsibility of maintaining and growing Vigor’s team and positioning the company in key end markets, including nuclear, aerospace, infrastructure and marine vessels. Robinson takes over a department that has recently added leaders…

Newsmakers

Coast Guard Captain Named POLB Security Director The Port of Long Beach’s harbor commission in late January approved the appointment of U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Ryan Manning as the port’s security director. Manning, currently Captain of the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach and Commander of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, is joining the POLB following his retirement at the end of March. In his present role, Manning leads a team of 550 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel and a 750-member volunteer auxiliary workforce. This team facilitates regional partnerships and conducts federal maritime safety, security, law enforcement and environmental…

Newsmakers

Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Gary Nelson Retiring After nearly 24 years on the job, Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Gary Nelson announced in mid-November that he’ll retire March 31, 2024. Nelson was hired as executive director in April 2000, when the port had only 21 vessel calls handling 85,000 metric tons of cargo with an operating budget of just $5.2 million. More than two decades later, Grays Harbor is projected to have 100 vessel calls and handle more than 3 million metric tons of cargo with an operating budget of nearly $40 million by the end of…

Hong Kong Conducts Its Annual Maritime Week

Hong Kong Maritime Week, a major annual event of the maritime and port industries in Hong Kong, was held Nov. 19-25, bringing together maritime leaders home and abroad for a week of activities that reinforce Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime center. The event, which showcases the Hong Kong maritime industry, had a theme of “Recharging the Maritime Industry” this year, reflecting what the events organizers say is the resilience and vision that define the city’s maritime sector. In a speech during the Nov. 20 opening ceremony, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that the “one country, two…

Newsmakers

James Fowler Appointed to Lead Crowley Shipping Crowley Maritime in mid-September announced that it has appointed industry leader James Fowler as senior vice president and general manager of its Crowley Shipping business unit, which serves U.S. and international maritime and logistics sectors. Crowley offers design, construction management and operation of a diverse range of vessels, port and offshore energy infrastructure, as well as advanced energy solutions including LNG. Its services include ship assist and harbor escort services, offshore energy installation and project management. Besides vessel design and mariner engineering group Crowley Engineering Services, Crowley Shipping also operates and manages liquid…

Newsmakers

Three New Members Confirmed to LA Harbor Board Former U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, labor advocate Michael Muñoz and real estate businessman Lee Williams are the newest members of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners. The Los Angeles City Council on May 2 approved Mayor Karen Bass’ nominations to the commission, the governing board that oversees the Port of Los Angeles. The trio, which are replacing Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee and Commissioners Lucia Moreno-Linares and Anthony Pirozzi, Jr., are expected to participate in their inaugural commission meeting on May 11. Roybal-Allard was a member of the U.S. House of…

Newsmakers

WPPA Hires Port of Seattle’s ffitch as New Executive Director The Washington Public Ports Association has hired Port of Seattle Government Relations Manager Eric ffitch as its new executive director, the WPPA announced in December. Currently, ffitch oversees the port’s Washington state government advocacy efforts in Olympia, among other responsibilities. He has more than 13 years of experience in federal and state government relations, according to the WPPA, and has worked as Congressional staff for former Rep. Jay Inslee, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Sen. Maria Cantwell. While in Sen. Cantwell’s office, he served as a lead staff member on the…