Port People: Caddo-Bossier, Longview, Quonset/Davisville

Shreveport: Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission Re-Elects Officers

The Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission recently re-elected officers for 2017. They include: Sam Gregorio, president, Rick Prescott, vice president, and Roy Griggs, secretary-treasurer.

"The commission’s focus remains on growing jobs and providing a good return on the investment made by the citizens of Caddo and Bossier in our Port," said Mr. Gregorio. "We have an ambitious future, and I am eager to continue developing and implementing effective strategies and attracting and retaining strong industries and jobs to the port."

Mr. Gregorio has practiced personal injury law in his own firm for more than 40 years. Since joining the port commission in 2011, he has served as its vice president (2015) and secretary-treasurer (2014). He has also served on its finance/audit, intergovernmental, personnel, port expansion, minority/women owned business enterprise and operations committees.

Mr. Prescott is proprietor of Rick’s World of Hair in Shreveport. Mr. Griggs is an entrepreneur and CEO of Griggs Enterprise, Incorporated/McDonald’s, and the owner of 14 McDonald’s restaurants. Both were appointed to the port commission by the City of Shreveport.

The 2,300-acre Port of Caddo-Bossier is located at the head of navigation on the Red River Waterway in Northwest Louisiana. An inland multi-modal transportation and distribution center, the port links the Ark-La-Tex region to domestic and international markets via the Mississippi River, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Created in 1962, the port commission consists of nine members five appointed by the mayor and city council of Shreveport, two by the mayor and city council of Bossier City, one by Caddo Parish and one by the Bossier Parish Police Jury. Members serve overlapping terms of six years and received no compensation for their services as port commissioners.

The other commissioners are Lynn Austin, Erica R. Bryant, James D. Hall, Thomas F. Murphy, James L. Pannell, and Steve Watkins.

Dan Stahl Named Chief Operating Officer at Port of Longview

Dan Stahl
Photo/Port of Longview

Dan Stahl recently joined the Port of Longview as chief operating officer. In that role, he assumes responsibility for day-to-day operations at the port. He is also charged with managing real estate, pursuing marine development opportunities and leading the port’s economic development efforts. Among other things, he is tasked with securing a tenant for Bridgeview Terminal and redevelopment of the former Continental Grain Terminal.

He previously served in operational capacities at the ports of Bellingham and Anacortes. His degrees include a bachelor’s in marine transportation operations from Maine Maritime Academy and a master’s in ocean systems management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"Dan is an outstanding addition to our team," said Port CEO Norm Krehbiel. "His experience and knowledge of Washington ports provide valuable input to port operations and business development."

Robert Blackburn is New Davisville Port Director

Robert C. Blackburn
Photo/Quonset Development Corporation

Robert C. Blackburn, formerly of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, took over December 13 as director of the Port of Davisville.

Davisville, which ranks among the busiest auto handling ports in the United States, is a component of the Quonset Business Park, which is owned and managed by Quonset Development Corporation (QDC), a quasi-state agency in Rhode Island. As port director, Mr. Blackburn fills an opening created last fall when Evan Matthews left the QDC to become executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority.

Mr. Blackburn began his career in Philadelphia working as a Chilean fruit importer until joining the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority as a marketing representative in 1992. He subsequently held the positions of director of marketing, deputy executive director and senior deputy executive director before leaving the PRPA in 2015.

During his 23 years with PRPA, he served as president of the Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia. He also served as a director for the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay and various other trade organizations. He is a member of the American Association of Port Authorities and the North Atlantic Port Association.