Port People: Brownsville, Everett, Freeport (TX), New Orleans

Steve Tyndal Joins Port of Brownsville Staff

Veteran port executive Steve Tyndal, PPM®, has joined the staff at the Port of Brownsville as senior director of marketing and business development.

He comes from Port Manatee, where he held a similar position for 20 years. At Brownsville, he is responsible for all trade development, marketing and public relations activities and the port’s 40,000 acres of real estate.

"We’re delighted that Steve has joined our team and look forward to his contributions and leadership in the port’s future growth," said Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Ralph Cowen. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and port experience to the table."

Mr. Tyndal is an AAPA-certified Professional Port Manager (PPM®) and past-chairman of AAPA’s Harbors and Navigation Committee. He currently serves as board member at-large for the International Propeller Club of the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and a U.S. Army veteran who served in the President’s Honor Guard.


Steve Tyndal
Photo/Port of Brownsville

Port of Everett Commissioner Troy McClelland Re-Elected for Second Term

Local voters have re-elected Troy McClelland to a six-year term on the Everett Port Commission.

Mr. McClelland, who ran uncontested, was first elected to the port commission in 2009. During first term, he supported the port’s effort to reinvest in trade and real estate infrastructure and remediate historic contamination. Commissioner McClelland also led the port’s effort to secure a freight-focused transportation package in the 2015 legislative session that fully funds the port’s first/last mile road improvements.

"We have accomplished a lot over the past six years, but I sought another term, because there is still more to do," said Commissioner McClelland. "I will continue my commitment to open government while working to bring economic vitality and improved recreational opportunities to the port. I look forward to building on the extraordinary work we’ve begun."

Some of his top priorities for the next six years are to prepare the international seaport for the larger ships and implement the community’s vision for a new waterfront neighborhood with Waterfront Place Central.

Mr. McClelland, who in his day job is the senior director of operations for Synrad, is a former active duty naval officer, and continues to serve in the Naval Reserve. He recently completed a tour as Commander, First Naval Construction Regiment, and is now assigned as the Deputy Commander of a Naval Construction Group located in Port Hueneme (CA).

His degrees include a BS in Ocean Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington School of Engineering and an MBA from the Foster School of Business, University of Washington.

The port commission consists of three elected members. The other commissioners are Tom Stiger and Glen Bachman.

Port Freeport Executive Port Director Glenn Carlson Announces His Retirement

Glenn Carlson will retire as executive port director of Port Freeport, effective March 15, 2016.

Mr. Carlson joined Port Freeport as chief executive in 2012 after more than 37 years in port operations and transportation, most recently as vice president of liner services at the North Carolina State Ports Authority. He holds BS in Business Administration from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Midway, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve.

During his time as CEO, Port Freeport experienced significant growth, including the adding of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Höegh Autoliners as tenants.

Port Commission Chairman Ravi Singhania thanked Mr. Carlson for his commitment and diligence in growing Port Freeport. He also expressed the port’s appreciation for Mr. Carlson extending the time of his retirement and assistance with the transition to a new port CEO.


Glenn Carlson
Photo/Port Freeport

New Orleans Port CEO LaGrange Named 'Logistics Executive of the Year' by NITL

Gary LaGrange, PPM®, president and chief executive officer of the Port of New Orleans, received the National Industrial Transportation League’s 2015 McCullough Award on November 17, during the trade association’s annual meeting in New Orleans.

The award is presented annually by the League’s Board of Directors and Logistics Management magazine to the ‘Logistics Executive of the Year" and is named after John T. McCullough, a former chief editor of Distribution magazine, a Logistics Management predecessor publication.

"I first met Gary LaGrange right after Hurricane Katrina, certainly a historically challenging moment for the Port and the City of New Orleans," said Bruce Carlton, president and CEO of the NITL."I knew then that if there was going to be a successful recovery from the hurricane’s devastation, it was going to come from Gary’s single-minded determination to get the port up and running again quickly. It’s that same urgent focus that has propelled the Port of New Orleans forward ever since."

Nominations for the McCullough Award are submitted by League members and voted upon by its Board of Directors.

"Gary has an outstanding reputation in the transportation industry and we are extremely pleased to be able to single him out for this recognition and his many accomplishments," said League Board Chairman Doug Kratzberg.
Mr. LaGrange joined the port as CEO in 2001, after serving as executive director of the Mississippi State Port Authority in Gulfport, the Port of South Louisiana and the Port of West St. Mary. He is a past AAPA chairman of the board and an AAPA-certified Professional Port Manager (PPM®).

Founded in 1907, the National Industrial Transportation League is the nation’s oldest association representing shippers’ interests in both domestic and international commerce in all modes of transportation. League members include shippers and receivers of goods, carriers, brokers, third-party intermediaries, logistics companies and other service providers.


Gary LaGrange (R), president & CEO of the Port of New Orleans, accepts the 2015 McCullough Award from Bruce Carlton, president & CEO of the National Industrial Transportation League.
Photo/Port of New Orleans