Retired General Stephen R. Lyons, Port and Supply Chain Envoy to the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, and Major General William (Butch) H. Graham, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will share key insights on federal initiatives that impact the port industry at the AAPA Annual Convention & Expo, October 16-19, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. 

General Lyons will address the Legislative Policy Council, which is open to U.S. port corporate members only. As Port and Supply Chain Envoy, General Lyons collaborates across a broad spectrum of private and public stakeholders to build supply chain fluidity, reduce costs and improve consumer confidence for all Americans. General Lyons retired from the U.S. Army in 2021, after more than 38 years of service, and last served as the 13th commander of the U.S. Transportation Command.

Major General Graham will provide a keynote address covering USACE policies and initiatives impacting ports. Major General Graham is a decorated Army Engineer Officer with 33 years of service. He oversees the Corps of Engineers’ $8.3 billion annual Civil Works Program and the Corps’ responses to storms and other natural disasters.

 

The Annual Convention will feature top speakers from key federal government agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s Office of Port Infrastructure Development, and the Federal Maritime Commission. In addition, representatives will be onsite from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Visit www.aapaorlando2022.org for the full agenda and registration information.

PortVision50, Holland & Knight and SailPlan will present an informational webinar on measuring and reducing port emissions on September 7, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Experts in maritime regulations, emissions measurement and reduction technology, and federal funding streams that support ports will explain technologies available to measure and reduce emissions in real-time. Available funding streams and the federal landscape for implementing these policies with federal dollars will also be discussed. Register here and read more about the agenda and speakers in SailPlan's blog post.

White House Port and Supply Chain Envoy retired General Stephen R. Lyons toured the Port of Oakland on August 29 along with port officials and stakeholders for a first-hand look at Oakland’s maritime operations and to learn more about its port terminal activities. General Lyons met with Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan and Maritime Director Bryan Brandes to discuss the challenges and continue the federal dialogue to support goods movement solutions at Oakland. General Lyons has been visiting U.S. ports to address ongoing supply chain issues in America.

Port Tampa Bay President and CEO Paul Anderson announced the hiring of Captain Matthew Thompson as its new Director of Cruise Operations and Emergency Management. Captain Thompson joins the port with more than 30 years of progressive military experience with the U.S. Coast Guard. He will start the position on September 5. Captain Thompson will be responsible for leading all cruise and passenger vessel operations and processes, acting as the on-call Incident Commander, and leading emergency management programs/operations for Port Tampa Bay. 

The San Pedro Bay ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have released a final report on the current state and overall feasibility of using clean cargo-handling equipment technology, while working toward the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) Update’s 2030 goal of a zero-emissions cargo-handling fleet.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved proposed improvements to the Port of Long Beach’s waterways following an extensive environmental review and feasibility study. The decision paves the way for a series of actions needed to make the Channel Deepening Project a reality.

Thousands of crew members that call Port Saint John each year will now have a unique space to call their own. A new crew lounge made from three recycled 40’ shipping containers, located adjacent to the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal, offers a rooftop patio overlooking the harbor, two levels of seating, tables equipped with device charging stations, high-speed Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

The Port of Everett and its project partner, Wildlands, have reached the final phase of Blue Heron Slough – a project restoring 353 acres of Snohomish River estuary habitat between the cities of Everett and Marysville. The site is now being returned to its former natural condition as estuarine habitat supporting salmon, orca, waterfowl, and other local wildlife. The first of four dike breaches to reintroduce the waters of the Snohomish River to Blue Heron Slough can be watched in footage captured by Wildland.

Port Everglades welcomed Accordia Shipping's newest ship, the MV Minchah, on the vessel's maiden call to the South Florida port. Deputy Port Director Glenn Wiltshire presented a traditional plaque and port challenge coin to mark the occasion.

For the 47th consecutive year, the Port of Palm Beach District Board of Commissioners voted to not levy any ad valorem taxes on the residents and business of the district. The district consists of 971 square miles or approximately 50% of Palm Beach County. Since 1975, the Port of Palm Beach District has strategically managed to maintain the port's facilities and invest in capital projects, without using taxes from residents in the district.

Port of Benton welcomes two tasting rooms and a gift shop at Vintners Village and will host a block party and ribbon-cutting event on September 15 to recognize the locally-owned businesses that opened during the pandemic. The port constructed phase two of Vintners Village, a walkable wine village in the heart of Washington wine country, in 2018.

Business Development Manager, New Orleans, LA; The Port of New Orleans

Copywriter, Corpus Christi, TX; Port Corpus Christi Authority