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Port People: Long Beach, Portland (OR)

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The Long Beach Harbor Commission has approved the appointments of Suzanne Plezia as director of construction and Nyariana Maiko as director of information management at the Port of Long Beach. Keith Leavitt is the chief commercial officer at the Port of Portland (OR).

Long Beach Hires Two More Directors

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has named new directors for the Construction Management and Information Management divisions of the Port of Long Beach.

Suzanne Plezia, the port’s acting director of construction management since January, is now the permanent director, overseeing construction of port projects, including the massive Middle Harbor Redevelopment Program.

Nyariana Maiko, currently associate vice president of the program management office for Molina Healthcare of Long Beach, will be the port’s new director of information management. The division provides the Harbor Department with information technology leadership.

The two women are filling slots vacated by directors who retired this year. The harbor commission has been steadily appointing executives to fill leadership posts that have opened up due to retirements and reorganization.


Suzanne Plezia
Photo/Port of Long Beach

Ms. Plezia, who joined the Port of Long Beach as an intern in 1996, is a licensed civil engineer who rose through the ranks, working in the Design, Program Management, and Construction Management divisions. In 2012, she guided the procurement process for the Desmond Bridge Replacement contract. In that year, too, she was promoted to deputy chief harbor engineer. Her promotion to director is effective immediately. Ms. Plezia earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine.

The Construction Management Division is part of the Program Delivery Group of the port’s Engineering Services Bureau.

Before Molina Healthcare, Ms. Maiko worked in management of information technology and program management for a number of companies, including Toyota Financial Services and Nissan North America. She has approximately 30 years of progressively more complex work experience in information technology and information management, business and strategic technology leadership. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a specialization in quantitative methods and computer science from the University of St. Catherine/University of St. Thomas in St. Paul (MN), and a master’s in computer and information science from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Her starting date at the port is January 5, 2015.

The Information Management Division is part of the port’s Finance and Administration Bureau.

Portland Promotes Keith Leavitt to Chief Commercial Officer


Keith Leavitt
Photo/Port of Portland

Keith Leavitt has been named chief commercial officer for the Port of Portland (OR). Mr. Leavitt most recently served as the port’s general manager of business development and properties. In his new role, he is responsible for business and economic development and for ensuring to ensure the port obtains a market-based rate of return on its assets. He will oversee both aviation and marine business development functions along with acquiring, developing, managing and marketing the port’s diversified industrial real estate portfolio. He replaces Sam Ruda who will leave the port this later month to pursue other interests.

Mr. Leavitt joined the port in 1999, initially as state government affairs manager and later as development project manager. Among other things, he spearheaded a multi-year initiative to change the port’s container business model, including a global market solicitation for a long term lease of its T-6 container terminal. He also directed several key port property acquisitions, including Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park and Gresham Vista Business Park.

Earlier, Mr. Leavitt served as division manager and economic development representative for the Oregon Economic Development Department. He holds a BS degree from Oregon State University and a graduate certificate in real estate development from Portland State University.

"Keith brings a strong background in business and economic development and commercial property management to this critical Port leadership position," said Port Executive Director Bill Wyatt. "His 15-year history with the port, coupled with his insight into the business challenges and opportunities on our horizon, will serve the organization well as we continue our mission to provide access to world markets and grow the region’s economy."
 

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