AAPA Honors Three for Port Industry Service

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – a trade group representing ports throughout the Western Hemisphere – today at its 103rd Annual Convention and Expo in Houston honored three port industry leaders.

Receiving AAPA’s Distinguished Service Award were former Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani and Dr. Bory Steinberg, founder and principal of the water resources advisory firm of Steinberg & Associates, and a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program chief.

Receiving AAPA’s ImPORTant Service Award was Port of Everett (Wash.) CEO John Mohr.

Recipients of the association’s Distinguished Service Award are honored for their dedicated efforts toward the enrichment of the maritime and port industries throughout the Western Hemisphere. Recipients of AAPA’s ImPORTant Service Award must have served with distinction and a record of outstanding leadership on one or more of the association’s technical or policy committees for at least 10 years, including two years as a committee chairman, and have at least 10 years of port management experience.

AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle commended all three award recipients for their longstanding commitment to excellence to their port industry colleagues and for their leadership on seaport industry issues.

In admiration for his long and distinguished record as a port authority chief executive, Nagle said of Yoshitani, “Tay has been an active and highly engaged member of AAPA for many years, while leading the Maryland Port Administration, the Port of Oakland, and of course, the Port of Seattle.”  Mr. Nagle added that Mr. Yoshitani, through his many deserved accolades as a port leader, his service on AAPA’s board of directors, and, during the past year, for his valuable leadership as the association’s chairman, “is highly deserving of the honor of receiving AAPA’s Distinguished Service Award.”

Upon presenting the Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Steinberg, Nagle praised the honoree’s more than 55 years of service in the port and water resources community, saying Dr. Steinberg’s work “continues to reap benefits for the port industry and to those who wisely have sought his advice and counsel.” Nagle added that, after Dr. Steinberg retired from the Corps and founded Steinberg & Associates with his wife, Naomi, “he became the ‘go-to’ person on questions of the Congressional appropriations and authorization process, as well as Corps of Engineers policy and process, helping guide numerous Corps studies and projects to their successful completion.”

In recognizing John Mohr, Nagle said, “Throughout his 33 years as a public seaport executive, John has been a devoted and energetic contributor to AAPA initiatives, standing committees and programs. He’s always been willing to lend his experience as a conference speaker and session presider at innumerable programs and Congressional hearings, and served admirably as AAPA’s U.S. port delegation chairman in 2002-2003, and for many years as a member of the association’s board of directors and U.S. Legislative Policy Council, on its Executive and PPM (Port Professional Manager) curriculum committees, and for two years (2009-2011) as chairman of AAPA’s Maritime Economic Development Committee.”

Nagle concluded by saying that, more important than their many significant accomplishments, is the humble and gracious character of these three outstanding port industry honorees.