Congressman Bill Shuster Accepts AAPA’s 2014 Port Person of the Year Award

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AAPA President Kurt Nagle (left) presenting Port Person of the Year Award to Congressman Bill Shuster.
Photo/AAPA

AAPA President Kurt Nagle presented U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman, with AAPA’s 2014 Port Person of the Year (PPY) award during a visit to the congressman’s office on September 9.

In thanking Rep. Shuster for his leadership on waterside port policy during his award presentation, Mr. Nagle pledged AAPA's support on freight issues in the reauthorization of the MAP-21 surface transportation legislation. Specifically, AAPA is seeking a freight program with dedicated funding that will address land-side infrastructure needs such as road, rail, bridge and tunnel connectors with ports, intermodal projects and corridor projects of national and regional significance.

Both Rep. Shuster and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) were originally slated to jointly receive the 2014 PPY award at AAPA’s Spring Conference in March for their leadership on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). However, at the time, WRRDA faced an uncertain path forward, prompting both Congressional leaders to request receipt of their award after WRRDA passed.

Congress passed the WRRDA bill on May 22; President Obama signed it on June 10. Sen. Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, accepted her award on June 19 during a brief ceremony at AAPA’s Port Directors Seminar in Washington, D.C.