In recognition of his extraordinary contributions and visionary leadership, Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta received the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) 32nd annual Silver Bell Award Thursday, June 11. The award, bestowed to Mr. Alemán Zubieta at the SCI’s annual award dinner in New York City, acknowledges an individual’s outstanding commitment to merchant mariners and the issues facing the maritime industry.
SCI honored Mr. Alemán Zubieta with this prestigious award for the Canal’s successful transition during the handover to Panama, the efficient management and operation of the waterway, and his foresight surrounding the Canal’s historic expansion project. Expansion will build a new lane of traffic along the Panama Canal through the construction of a new set of locks. The project will double Canal capacity and allow more traffic and the passage of longer and wider ships. Overall, expansion is estimated at $5.25b, with an anticipated completion of 2014.