Governing Board News

Trade group the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) elected a new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sean Strawbridge of the Port of Corpus Christi, last week during its 111th Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla. Outgoing Chairman Mario Cordero of the Port of Long Beach made the formal announcement during his address to members and attendees.AAPA President and CEO Chris Connor remarked on the transition, "Our work at AAPA is bolstered by the leadership and input of our chairperson and board of directors.

The outgoing Director of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), Professor David Joseph Attard, has been selected by the IMO Council to be the recipient of the International Maritime Prize for 2021. Professor Attard was nominated for the award by the Republic of Malta. In the nomination, the impact that Professor Attard has had on the maritime world, particularly via his three-decade-long role at IMLI was highlighted. The Maltese national was responsible for proposing, in 1987, together with the late Dr.

William A. O’Neil, Secretary-General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has died in the United Kingdom, aged 93.O’Neil was elected Secretary-General of the IMO for a first term of Office beginning in 1990, a second term beginning in 1994, a third term beginning in 1998 and a further two-year term from 2002 to 31 December 2003. He was the second longest serving Secretary-General of IMO.Current IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim expressed his sincere condolences to the Canadian Government…

Port of Oakland has appointed veteran aviation executive Kristi McKenney as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).Executive Director Danny Wan announced the appointment today after the Port’s governing Board created the new position last month. Ms. McKenney had been serving as Assistant Director of Aviation at the Port’s Oakland International Airport.“I’m grateful to the Board for establishing the COO position and pleased that Kristi is joining our executive team,” said Wan. “We’re developing an ambitious growth strategy for the Port and she’ll be instrumental in advancing it.”Wan said McKenney would manage Port operations. She’ll also oversee Port compliance with Board policies and government regulations, he added.

Niels Aalund was elected President of the International Propeller Club at their 93rd International Convention and Conference. The prominent maritime industry stakeholder will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, also serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA). WGMA communicates and coordinates with various governmental entities throughout the West Gulf…

Danny Wan, who has been the Port of Oakland’s interim executive director since July, is now  appointed to that role on a permanent basis.The Port’s governing Board selected Wan, who was was Port Attorney for six years earlier, at a special meeting on November 14. He replaces Chris Lytle who retired in July after six years at the helm in Oakland. The announcement caps a two-month, nationwide search."We're fortunate to have Danny as the Port's new chief executive - not only is he an experienced public professional, he is also a local leader with demonstrated commitment to the communities the Port serves," said Board President Ces Butner.Wan is a familiar figure in the Oakland community.

Niels Aalund was elected at the 93rd International Convention and Conference in New Orleans on October 17th.New Orleans, LA: Prominent maritime industry stakeholder Niels Aalund has been elected President of the International Propeller Club. Mr. Aalund will serve a two-year term, commencing from October 17th. Aalund, a well-known maritime subject matter expert and executive, currently serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice-President of the West Gulf Maritime Association (WGMA).

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has added Andy Seymour, global director of operational excellence at Fugro NV in the Netherlands, to its governing board.Seymour has a technical background coupled with financial, commercial and management expertise. He  started his career at Fugro as a field surveyor progressing to shore based management positions including country manager and regional director.In 2018 he moved into a corporate role as deputy division director and in 2019 was appointed into his current roles as Global Director Operational Excellence. He holds a first-class honors degree in Civil Engineering.Fugro has been a strong supporter of IMCA for many years.

Bulk shipping operations could soon return to the San Francisco Bay's Port of Oakland for the first time in 20 years. The Port said  it’s negotiating with a Canadian building materials shipper to transport sand and gravel here.The Port’s governing Board yesterday authorized talks with Vancouver-based Eagle Rock Aggregates. The firm seeks a vessel berth along with 20 acres of adjacent land at the Port’s Outer Harbor Terminal.Eagle Rock would use the property as a base for distributing sand and gravel for Bay Area construction sites. The firm said it wants a 15-year lease for one berth on Outer Harbor. Eagle Rock would ship sand and gravel from British Columbia to produce concrete for Bay Area builders.Oakland is one of the busiest container seaports in the U.S.

There is a growing international consensus that clean hydrogen will play a key role in the world’s transition to a sustainable energy future, said  Noé van Hulst, who chairs the High-Level Advisory Panel for the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s forthcoming hydrogen study.Hulst, the Hydrogen Envoy for the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy, The Netherlands, said that it is crucial to help reduce carbon emissions from industry and heavy transport, and also to provide long-term energy storage at scale.Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be produced from a wide range of sources and used in many ways across the entire energy sector.

The Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has approved the promotion of the Nigerian Alternate Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Dikko Bala, to Director. Also elevated to the position of Director in the Agency was the Deputy Director, Maritime Labor Services, Mrs. Rita Uruakpa.Other beneficiaries of the promotion exercise were Mr Kazir Musa, who was promoted to Deputy Director, and 18 officers, who were elevated to Assistant Directors.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s globally recognized training centre, the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), has held its 29th annual graduation ceremony at the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa, Malta (9 June). Fifty-one students from 41 countries graduated from programs covering all areas of international maritime law in a ceremony presided over by IMO Secretary-General and Chair of the IMLI Governing Board, Kitack Lim, who heralded the Institute and congratulated the graduates on their achievement. Prior to the ceremony, Secretary-General Lim paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat in Valletta, and expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister and the Government of Malta for its continued support to IMLI.

The digitalisation of ports and terminal operations offers ways to realise a “fourth industrial revolution”, bringing with it safety, operational, and environmental benefits, delegates heard at the Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) annual general meeting, which was held in the Spanish port city of Bilbao. Digitalisation themes that were explored during presentations included artificial intelligence, data management, cyber-physical systems, and interoperability between layers of IoT platforms – all of which are emerging as ways to improve container throughput at ports and terminals. Keynote speakers Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, secretary general of ports body FEPORT, and Capt.

Up to six 366-foot-tall cranes will soon be raised 27-feet higher at the Port of Oakland. The port said the $14 million-to-$21 million project will begin this spring at its largest marine terminal. The objective: make it easier to load and unload megaships with containers stacked high above deck. “We’re already working the largest ships to call in North America,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. The governing Board of Port Commissioners approved the crane plan at a meeting last night. It calls for installing longer legs on four-to-six cranes at Oakland International Container Terminal. The terminal handles 70 percent of Oakland’s cargo. Last winter it received the 1,300-foot long Benjamin Franklin, the largest container ship ever to visit the U.S.

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has confirmed the appointment of Mark Heine to its governing board. Heine is a senior executive with Fugro.   Heine is a member of the Management Board of Fugro and is the Director of the Marine Division. He has been with Fugro since 2000, and has served, amongst others roles as Director of Marine, Survey & Geotech, and Regional Manager Europe-Africa for the Survey Division. He holds an MSc in Geodetic Engineering from Delft University of Technology.

Maritime lawyer Dr. Frank Lawrence Wiswall Junior, former Chair of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Legal Committee and Vice President (Honoris Causa) of the Comité Maritime International (CMI), has received the International Maritime Prize for 2015 for his contribution to the work of IMO over many years. Presenting the Prize, during a ceremony at IMO Headquarters on Monday, December 5, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim highlighted Dr. Wiswall's dedication and leadership in the field of international maritime law over several decades…

The prestigious International Maritime Prize for 2015 is to be awarded to Dr. Frank Lawrence Wiswall Junior, former Chair of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Legal Committee and Vice-President (Honoris Causa) Comité Maritime International (CMI), for his contribution to the work of IMO over many years. The IMO Council has decided to award the Prize, noting Dr. Wiswall's personal contribution to the work of IMO, leading IMO’s Legal Committee as it developed a number of key international treaties and holding important roles at various international IMO legal and diplomatic conferences. As a lecturer at the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta and as a Member of its Governing Board from 1992 to the present, Dr.

On September 24, 2016 the Houston International Seafarers Centers will host their Annual Maritime Gala . Niels Aalund, Senior Vice President, West Gulf Maritime Association, will be honored as the " Bronze Anchor Award” recipient. Niels Aalund, serves as an Officer and as Senior Vice-President, West Gulf Maritime Association, with primary responsibility for advocating on behalf of member companies (steamship agents, vessel owners, and industry stakeholders) with local, state and federal agencies. From organizations such as Washington, D.C, based, National Maritime Association, to the commercial sector, Aalund has provided leadership for a variety of maritime related positions. He has extensive strategic planning experience in both operations and commercial maritime activities.

The Port of Oakland has set its plan to move containerized cargo once a marine terminal closes March 31. The Port said today its Continuity Plan will keep trade flowing and prevent vessel diversions to other ports. The plan addresses the impending shutdown of Outer Harbor Terminals LLC, formerly known as Ports America Outer Harbor Terminals LLC. The terminal operator has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it will leave Oakland. The Port said its Continuity Plan calls for ships that use Outer Harbor Terminal to relocate to berths at adjacent terminals in Oakland. It said terminals will add labor where necessary and open gates nights and weekends to accommodate additional cargo.

Expanded premises for the World Maritime University (WMU) were inaugurated on Monday, May 19, 2015 in Malmö, Sweden, by IMO Secretary-General and WMU Chancellor Koji Sekimizu. WMU is an international educational institute for the maritime community, operating under the auspices of IMO. At close to 6,000m2, WMU’s new facility is nearly double the size of the previous Malmö campus. It provides a new auditorium, multiple research laboratories, seminar rooms and video-conferencing capabilities for hosting international conferences.

Deborah Hadden has been appointed Port Director by Thomas P. Glynn, CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). In her new role, Hadden will be responsible for directing the planning, development, marketing, operation, security, financial management, administration and maintenance of Massport’s non-aviation properties in the Port of Boston. Hadden had been Acting Port Director since October, 2012, and was instrumental in achieving many successes in directing the Port of Boston in the last 10 months.

The International Energy Agency<http://www.iea.org/> (IEA) will undertake a comprehensive analytical study of Iraq as part of the 2012 edition of its flagship publication, the World Energy Outlook (WEO). "Iraq's energy sector is both central to the reconstruction and development of the Iraqi economy and of huge importance to the global outlook," said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. "The focus on Iraq in this year's World Energy Outlook will illuminate a central issue for the future of global energy, and we are very pleased to be working with the strong support of the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Dr. Speaking to the IEA Governing Board on 15 February, the Ambassador of Iraq to France, H.E. Dr. Fareed Yasseen, outlined Iraq's expectations for the IEA work.

SEMS awareness training is now available as a part of the SafeGulf offshore safety orientation program. On January 1st, PEC Premier added a Safety and Environmental Management System module to its one-day Basic Safety Orientation and its three-day Core safety training course, meaning that both will now meet the new requirements for SafeGulf. The company is also offering stand-alone SEMS training for offshore workers who already have their SafeGulf cards. The U.S. government is now requiring oil and gas companies to implement SEMS plans for their offshore facilities.