Port People: Port Everglades, Seattle

Port Everglades Assistant Director David Anderton, PPM®, Appointed to the Florida Freight Advisory Committee

David Anderton
Photo/Port Everglades

Port Everglades Assistant Director David Anderton, PPM®, was recently appointed to the Florida Freight Advisory Committee.

The committee works in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to develop freight connections that strengthen the state's position as a primary cargo hub in the United States.

"As the leading containerized cargo port in Florida, it is important that we have a seat at the table when it comes to planning for freight connections and the state's economic sustainability," said Port Everglades Chief Executive Steve Cernak, PPM®.

In his port role, Anderton provides oversight and direction for the development and implementation of short- and long-range strategic plans including facilities planning, capital improvements programming and implementation of the 5-Year capital improvement program, economic impact analysis, grants writing and administration.

Anderton earned AAPA’s PPM® certification in 2014. His PPM® research paper, Improving Seaport Connectivity Airport: A Case Study of Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, is posted on the AAPA website.

Port of Seattle Names Rod Covey Chief of Police

Chief Rod Covey
Photo/Port of Seattle

Port of Seattle Interim CEO Dave Soike has hired Rod Covey as the port’s new chief of police. Chief Covey has been the interim chief since the retirement of Chief Colleen Wilson in November. His appointment is effective immediately.

The Port of Seattle Police Department consists of 99 commissioned police officers and 41 non-commissioned personnel. It provides the primary law enforcement service at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the port’s maritime properties (including two cruise ship terminals, one grain terminal, a public cargo terminal, four public marinas and multiple real estate assets).

Chief Covey had served as the port’s deputy chief since November 2009, managing the Operations and Services bureaus, patrol divisions at the airport and seaport, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Professional Standards and Training Division and the 911 Communications Center.  His oversight responsibilities also included the police department’s specialty units including Explosive Detection K9s, Bomb Disposal, Marine Patrol, Dive Team, Bike Team, Gang Unit, as well as its members of the Valley SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), Crisis Negotiations and Valley Civil Disturbance Units.

Previously, he served 32 years with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) where he was the assistant director for operations, patrol, and agency support.  In that role, he oversaw a wide variety of functions that included training, research and planning, community education, crime victims unit, internal affairs, and others.

Chief Covey Rod has an AA degree in Criminal Justice from Central Arizona College, a Bachelor’s in Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Master’s in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Arizona State University’s Institute for Public Executives.

"We held an extensive competition for the police chief position with an impressive list of candidates," said Soike. "We are pleased to select someone with the depth of experience around the country and within our own department that Chief Covey has amassed. I am confident he will continue the vision to be the nation’s finest port police."