Port of Long Beach Appoints Program Management Division Lead
Tasha Higgins has been chosen to helm the Port of Long Beach’s Program Management Division, which is responsible for improving waterways, wharfs, terminals, railroads, bridges, roadways and utilities, the port announced Wednesday, March 16.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners appointed Higgins, who joined the port in October 2020 as assistant director of program management. Her appointment took effect March 26.
Higgins previously spent nearly three decades working on various transportation improvement programs for Long Beach Transit, Los Angeles World Airports, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies, as well as private firms, according to the Port of Long Beach.
Higgins earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Cromwell School of Business at Biola University and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. She is a board-certified civil engineer with the State of California and a certified Project Management Professional.
New Port of San Diego Commissioner Sworn In
Danielle Moore is the Port of San Diego’s newest port commissioner. She was officially sworn into the seven-member board that governs the port on March 16.
Moore, a native San Diegan and Howard University School of Law alum, is also a graduate of Stanford University and is the recipient of the Stanford Alumni Association’s Award of Merit for her volunteer service. Additionally, she is an attorney with more than a decade of experience. Her practice focuses on the renewable energy industry.
The port is governed by a seven-member board, of which three members are appointed by the City of San Diego and one each is appointed by the Cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach and National City.
Port of Los Angeles Appoints New Chief Harbor Engineer
Dina Aryan-Zahlan is the new chief harbor engineer for the Port of Los Angeles, it was announced in March. Aryan-Zahlan, who has been the port’s assistant chief harbor engineer since 2015, takes over overseeing the port’s Engineering Division from David Walsh, who retired in December.
Aryan-Zahlan brings over 30 years of engineering experience, including her work at the city of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. She’s been with the port for 22 years, providing leadership to the LA Waterfront development team and expertise to the port’s $1 billion public access infrastructure development program.
She first joined the Port of Los Angeles as a construction manager in 2000, was promoted to Harbor Engineer-Chief of Design in 2003, and then to Assistant Chief Harbor Engineer in 2015. For the past two decades, Aryan-Zahlan has managed the port’s Transportation Program, Terminal Development Program and LA Waterfront Program, which represent more than $2 billion in combined infrastructure improvements.
Aryan-Zahlan obtained her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and Executive Master of Leadership degree from the University of Southern California. She is a registered civil engineer in the State of California, certified Project Management Professional and Senior Certified Professional from the Society of Human Resources Management.
Matson Appoints New Leadership in Hawaii, Alaska and Guam
Matson has announced that Vic Angoco, senior vice president, Pacific, will succeed the retiring Bal Dreyfus as senior vice president, Alaska, based in Anchorage, effective July 1.
Currently responsible for Matson’s Hawaii, Guam, Micronesia and South Pacific operations as senior vice president, Pacific, Angoco began his 32-year maritime career on Guam and has held a wide range of operations and sales management roles. He joined Matson in 1996 as operations manager on Guam and rose through the ranks in successive sales, customer service and operations leadership positions in Guam and Hawaii. He was promoted to his current position in 2010.
The company also announced the following related promotions:
Len Isotoff, vice president, sales – Hawaii, was promoted to succeed Angoco as senior vice president, Pacific, effective April 1.
Isotoff joined Matson in 1999 as Logistics Manager on Guam and has served in a variety of successive roles, including sales/customer service manager in Guam, Pacific Northwest sales manager, container operations manager in Honolulu and general manager, Guam/Micronesia. He was promoted to his previous position in 2016.
Isotoff, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Oregon State University, serves on the Historic Hawaii Foundation Board of Trustees and the Navy League Honolulu Council.
Bernadette “Bernie” Valencia, vice president and general manager, Guam/Micronesia, was appointed to succeed Isotoff as vice president, sales – Hawaii with responsibility for all sales and marketing activities in Hawaii effective April 1.
Valencia joined Matson in 2008, bringing a 15-year track record of business accomplishments and deep knowledge of the local business communities in Guam and Micronesia. Starting as sales/customer service manager, she was later named general manager, Guam and was promoted to her previous position in 2017.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Maintenance from San Jose State University and is the co-founder and a board member of iCAN Resources, a Guam nonprofit organization that employs and provides life skills to the disabled community. She has also been an active member of the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability Advisory Council; The Employer’s Council; the USO Advisory Council; and the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Patrick Bulaon, Matson’s operations manager, Guam and Micronesia, was promoted to succeed Valencia as vice president and general manager, Guam/Micronesia, effective April 1. In his new role, Bulaon assumes responsibility for overseeing all operations and sales activity of Matson’s Western Pacific and Micronesia regions, which include Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Okinawa, Japan.
Originally from Guam, Bulaon joined Matson in 2021 and previously served in various operations and sales management positions over 28 years in Guam, CNMI, Micronesia, East Asia and the South Pacific for ExxonMobil and PacifiCare Asia Pacific. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jennifer Tungul, director, Alaska terminal operations, was promoted to vice president, operations for Alaska, effective April 1. In her new position, Tungul has primary management responsibility for Matson’s terminal operations in Anchorage, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor.
She joined Matson’s Alaska operations in 2002 and has served in a series of finance and operations leadership roles, including terminal manager in Dutch Harbor. She was promoted to general manager for Dutch Harbor in 2019, and to her previous position later that same year.
Port of San Francisco Names New Deputy Director
David Beaupre is the Port of San Francisco’s new deputy director for planning and environment. He was appointed to the job in mid-March.
In his new role, he has been tasked with offering strategic oversight of the port’s Planning and Environment Division, which ensures that the use and development of port property is aligned with the port’s long-term vision and regulatory requirements, the port said.
The division also executes port urban design and historic preservation reviews and pushes sustainability and climate change actions.
Beaupre joined the port in 2001 as a senior waterfront planner. Before his current role, he was senior development project manager and oversaw major waterfront development projects.
Please send your Newsmaker stories to Managing Editor Mark Nero: mark@maritimepublishing.com