Newsmakers

Kimberly Branam.

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 implementation of the city’s first economic development strategy in 15 years on behalf of Mayor Sam Adams.

“I am thrilled to join the port in this role and work alongside new colleagues and a broad array of community partners to achieve outcomes that are forward looking, equitable and financially sustainable,” Branam said in a statement.

The Port of Portland’s CTEDO oversees all functions of the port’s General Fund business line, leading its business development and properties, economic development, harbor environmental, marine operations and navigation functions.

The position also oversees strategies to enhance trade, promote economic growth and optimize all elements of the port’s general fund to ensure a sustainable cost structure, while providing leadership on matters related to trade, industrial lands, economic development and maritime commerce.

Branam will report directly to Executive Director Curtis Robinhold.

“Kimberly’s remarkable leadership at Prosper Portland demonstrated that she is a values-driven, collaborative leader with experience using economic tools to improve the lives of everyone in our region,” Robinhold said in a statement.

“The role she is filling is a critical piece of the port’s mission, strategically driving our marine terminals and industrial properties to create equitable economic opportunity in urban and rural areas of the Pacific Northwest,” he added.  


Cameron Thorpe.
Photo courtesy of TraPac Holdings.

TraPac Names Thorpe President-CEO

On Sept. 9, TraPac Holdings, LLC announced that Cameron Thorpe, the former chief executive officer of container handling company PSA Belgium, took over as president and CEO.

TraPac operates container terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Oakland.

Thorpe, whose hiring was announced Sept. 5, is tasked with leading TraPac’s “overall performance, with a strong emphasis on safety, environmental stewardship, customer satisfaction, operational excellence and governance,” the company said.

Thorpe brings to the table more than 30 years of experience in global container shipping and terminal business. At PSA Belgium, he oversaw a program that bolstered capacity at the Antwerp terminal by more than 700,000 TEUs annually while lowering emissions by more than 50%, according to TraPac.

He previously was CEO of DCT Gdansk, one of the Baltic region’s biggest container terminals. For 13 years, he served in various leadership roles at logistics company DP World, including global business development, and held terminal CEO roles in Romania, Australia, Thailand, Korea and the U.K., overseeing $1.5 billion in investments and facilities surpassing four million TEUs, according to the announcement.

“Cameron Thorpe is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the maritime and container terminal industry,” TraPac Holdings Board of Directors Chair Richard Nicholson said in a statement. “His diverse experience and strategic insight will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our world-class facilities and drive sustainable growth for our customers and shareholders.” 


Francesco Valente.

Valente Takes Over as CEO of Shipbuilder Titan

Ship repair and marine fabrication company Titan Acquisition Holdings has appointed Francesco Valente as CEO, replacing Jim “Marco” Marcotuli, who has retired after five years with the company and nearly five decades in the aerospace, defense and manufacturing sectors.

The leadership transition was announced by Titan on Sept. 12. Valente’s appointment was effective Sept. 23.

The company’s new CEO has more than 20 years’ experience running business operations globally, including as CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, a Washington, DC-based shipbuilding and ship repair operation. He is based at Titan headquarters in Portland, Ore.

Following his retirement, Marcotuli has taken on a new role as a board member and advisor with Vigor. He previously led Titan through significant milestones and growth after it was formed in 2019, including furthering the integration of Titan’s three major ship repair entities.

He also advanced Titan’s market-leading fabrication businesses, supporting execution of highly critical shipbuilding programs. And, he has expanded Titan’s presence in the defense market overall, making Titan a leader in the space.

Titan is comprised of the companies Vigor, which has facilities in Portland, Seattle and Ketchikan, Alaska; San Diego-based Continental Maritime, and MHI, with facilities in Norfolk, Va.   


Lanelle Comstock. Photo: Port of Coos Bay.

Port of Coos Bay Hires First Female CEO

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay on Aug. 13 announced Lanelle Comstock as its new CEO—the first woman to hold the top job at the port—and Melissa Cribbins as head of the seaport’s Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Project.

Comstock replaces outgoing CEO John Burns, who in June announced that he was stepping down after nearly a decade in the position. Burns, who started at the port in 2015, led the agency during a channel modification project and the ongoing modernization and expansion of the Coos Bay Rail Line.

He also served as president of the Oregon Public Ports Association, as a commissioner on the South Slough Reserve management commission and an officer on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Rail Users’ League.

Comstock, interim CEO since June, has worked in various roles at the port for the past 12 years, including chief administration officer.

“Her appointment as permanent CEO is a testament to her exceptional leadership and dedication to the port’s mission of fostering economic development and sustainable operations,” the port said in a statement.

Comstock said she’s honored to continue leading the port as it builds on its successes and works toward the future.

“I’m excited about where the port is going and feel fortunate to lead such a great team,” she said. “Our focus remains on supporting local industries, collaborating with the community and maintaining our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

Cribbins, a former Coos County Commissioner, has been named executive director for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port project, which aims to be a completely electrified ship-to-rail facility, able to process about 1.2 million TEUs annually.

The facility is projected to create about 9,400 direct and indirect jobs and bolsters the port’s presence as a U.S. and global trade hub. 

“Cribbins’ extensive experience in public service, executive leadership and community engagement makes her the ideal candidate to spearhead this transformative initiative,” the port said.  


Dena Horton.

Horton Named PNWA’s Deputy Director

Dena Horton is the new deputy director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, the Portland-based organization announced Aug. 15.

PNWA is a nonprofit trade association advocating on federal policy and funding on behalf of more than 150 port, trade, agricultural and other stakeholders in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Horton, who joined the association as its government relations director in 2019, brings to her new role experience at the federal and regional level and a deep understanding of the association’s projects and issues, PNWA said.

Her experience includes being the Southwest Washington outreach director for Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) for more than five years, as well as a district representative for former Rep. Brian Baird. She also was a project manager with the New Hampshire-based environmental consulting firm Normandeau Associates for more than seven years.

“Dena was my right-hand person from before I even started at PNWA,” association Executive Director Neil Maunu, said. “She cares so much about the issues that we fight for and she is not afraid to make tough decisions for the good of the industry and the association.” 

Horton is expected to continue to be am advocate in key areas, support the executive director and board of PNWA and lead in Maunu’s absence, according to the announcement.  


Erica Calhoun. Photo: Port of Los Angeles.

Calhoun Named Deputy Executive Director at Port of LA

Erica Calhoun has been named deputy executive director of the city of Los Angeles Harbor Department’s Administrative Bureau, the Port of LA announced Aug. 22.

In this newly created role, Calhoun will be in charge of the port’s risk management, contracts and purchasing, the Commission Office and human resources for the department’s nearly 900 employees.

She would lead the Harbor Department as acting executive director whenever Executive Director Gene Seroka is away, according to the announcement.

Before joining the port in 2012, she was the assistant officer in charge in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Budget Section and served in a civilian oversight capacity in the L.A. Police Commission’s Office of the Inspector General. She was also a grants manager for the city’s Housing Department.

She arrived at the Port of LA as a senior management analyst in the grants unit, then joined the port’s Executive Office in 2012. Three years later, she became chief of staff to the executive director, the first African American woman to be in that role at the Harbor Department.

Calhoun has been the interim deputy executive director since May.

“Erica is an incredibly talented professional and valuable member of our Harbor Department team,” Seroka said in a statement. “Her dedication, leadership and hard work over the past two decades with the city of Los Angeles have paved the way for this new role.”  


John Pérez. Photo via Port of Los Angeles.

LA Harbor Board Gains New Member

California State Assembly Speaker Emeritus John A. Pérez is the newest member of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, the agency that governs the Port of L.A.

The Sept. 20 announcement came following the Los Angeles City Council’s unanimous approval of the appointment.

Pérez, who was nominated by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, brings a breadth of experience in labor and government into his new role, including serving on the Board of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, California League of Conservation Voters and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

He was previously a member of the California Assembly, representing Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding areas from December 2008 through November 2014, and served as Assembly Speaker from 2010-2014. In the speaker role, he oversaw 1,300 employees and a $156 million budget.

During his tenure, Pérez supported job growth and economic development and wrote the legislation that formed the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

Pérez also currently serves as a regent for the University of California. 

“He has unwavering passion for bettering our city and I’m confident that he will be a champion for the San Pedro and Wilmington communities and also work to support the port’s vital function as the number one port in the country,” Bass said.

Pérez replaces formed board member Diane Middleton of San Pedro, who was not nominated to a second term by Bass.