Port People: Grays Harbor, Houston, Longview, Los Angeles, San Diego

Grays Harbor Selects Westport Marina District Business Manager

Molly Bold
Photo/Port of Grays Harbor

Molly Bold will be joining the senior management team at the Port of Grays Harbor on January 23 as Westport business manager.

In this newly created position, Ms. Bold will be responsible for operations, planning, and management of the Westport Marina District properties, including the Westport Marina moorage facilities, upland properties, and public access facilities.

During the past three years, Ms. Bold led a local nonprofit, WEFish, and before that, owned and operated a photography business. She and her husband own a fishing business that operates from California to Alaska.
"Ms. Bold’s experience in launching and successfully growing WEFish into the well-respected, community based organization it is today is exactly the type of leadership needed to bring the Westport Marina District to its full potential," said Port Executive Director Gary Nelson. "Her passions for seeing not just the Marina District thrive, but all of Grays Harbor will make her an asset to the port and the community as a whole."

Longview: Former Port Staffer Elected Board President

Doug Averett
Photo/Port of Longview

The board of commissioners of the Port of Longview kicked off its first meeting of 2017 by electing Commissioner Doug Averett president. He succeeds Commissioner Bob Bagaason, who held the position for two years.

Commissioner Bagaason moves into the board secretary role while Commissioner Jeff Wilson becomes the vice president.

Commissioner Averett was formerly the Port of Longview’s director of operations. He retired from the port in 2015 after nearly thirty years of service. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed complete the remainder of the term of the board position vacated by Commissioner Lou Johnson.

Houston: Janiece M. Longoria Reappointed Port Commission Chairman


Janiece M. Longoria
Photo/Port Houston

Janiece M. Longoria was reappointed chairman of the Houston Port Commission by a unanimous vote January 10 of the Harris County Commissioners Court and the Houston City Council.

Ms. Longoria has served as port authority chair since January 8, 2013. She chairs the commission’s Audit and Community Relations committees and serves on its Governance Committee and Pension and Benefits committees.

Ms. Longoria is an honors graduate of the University of Texas and received her JD from the University of Texas School of Law. She is on the board of two public companies, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and Superior Energy Services, Inc., both based in Houston. She is former vice chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents and a former board member of the University of Texas Investment Management Company.

She is active in many non-profit organizations. Ms. Longoria currently serves on the board of directors of the University of Texas Law School Foundation, the Greater Houston Partnership and the Texas Medical Center, and of the Board of Visitors of the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The seven-member commission is the governing body of the Port of Houston Authority. Two members are appointed by the City of Houston, two by the Harris County Commissioners Court, one by the Harris County Mayors & Councils Association, one by the City of Pasadena, and the chairman jointly by the city council and the county commissioner court. Commissioners serve without compensation for terms of two years each.

 Los Angeles: Michael Graychik Named Deputy Port Police Chief

Deputy Port Police Chief Michael Graychik
Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles has appointed Michael Graychik deputy chief of police. In his new role, Deputy Chief Graychik oversees emergency management, marine and patrol, and support service operations at the Los Angeles Port Police. He will also serves as a member of the Port Police executive team and reports to Chief Tom Gazsi.

Deputy Chief Graychik began his more than 35 years of law enforcement experience as an officer at Los Angeles World Airports. Since transferring to the port in 1986, he has held numerous positions. He is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Leadership Program.

The Los Angeles Port Police is one of the nation’s few police forces dedicated exclusively to seaport activities. With its staff of 135 sworn officers, the agency enforces all federal, state, and local laws applicable to port responsibilities, including cargo protection, pollution investigation, vessel traffic control, and narcotics interdiction. Other staffers include 47 civilian employees and 35 security personnel.

"Michael has been an integral and invaluable part of the Port Police team for thirty years," said Chief Gazsi. "His knowledge and understanding of our operations is second-to-none, making him uniquely qualified to take on this new leadership role at our port."

Port of San Diego Swears in 2017 Board of Port Commissioners Executive Officers

 
Robert "Dukie" Valderrama (left) takes the oath as San Diego Port Commission chair from his son, Randy Valderrama.
Photo/Port of San Diego

The Port of San Diego’s newly sworn port commission executive officers for 2017 are Robert "Dukie" Valderrama, chairman; Rafael Castellano, vice chairman; and Garry J. Bonnelli, secretary. Commissioner Valderrama represents the City of National City, Commissioner Castellanos the City of San Diego, and Commissioner Bonnelli the City of Coronado on the 7-member board.

During his inauguration speech, Chairman Valderrama said the board this year would focus on the theme of "Port of San Diego: Win, Win, Win" for the entire San Diego region.

"When I say win, win, win, I mean a win for the port, a win for the business or the member city, and most importantly, a win for the community," said Chairman Valderrama. "It’s not enough for the port to succeed. Success only means something when we can share it with our partners. We have a duty to make sure that the people who are impacted by a project get a win from it, too."

Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms by the city councils of the municipalities encompassed by the port district and are eligible for reappointment. Board officers serve- one-year terms. This year’s officers were elected at the board’s meeting of November 8, 2016.

The other commissioners are Ann Moore, representing Chula Vista; Dan Malcolm, representing Imperial Beach; and Bob Nelson, representing San Diego.