During its convention last week in New Orleans, the American Association of Port Authorities installed new officers and elected a board of directors for the 2016-2017 activity year. Mark McAndrews formally assumed the duties of chairman of the board at the association’s annual membership meeting on October 26.  Mr. McAndrews is port director of the Port of Pascagoula. As AAPA chairman, he succeeds Jim Quinn, president and CEO of Port Saint John.

More than 700 people came to New Orleans last week to mark the 105th AAPA Annual Convention. A mix of port executives and professional, port industry solution providers, high-profile speakers, exhibitors, guests and sponsors enjoyed three days of productive meetings, presentations, networking opportunities and social events. The 2016 Annual Convention was hosted by the Port of New Orleans.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $978,302 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant to the Maryland Environmental Service to upgrade diesel-powered cargo handling equipment at the Port of Baltimore.

AAPA corporate members are invited to nominate individuals for consideration as AAPA's 2017 Port Person(s) of the Year. The deadline for nominations is Friday, December 9, 2016.

The final vessel of the 2016 Halifax cruise season, Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas, sailed in to port early Friday, October 28, and headed back to sea the next morning.

The Port of Los Angeles, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), will extend the Metro Bike Share program to the 12-mile Los Angeles waterfront by next summer. The Prince Rupert Regional Hospital will once again be able to offer patients therapeutic bathing thanks to a community investment by the Port of Prince Rupert.

The Bellingham Port Commission has authorized a Purchase and Sale agreement with Pando Innovations, LLC (Itek Energy) for approximately two acres of property and a 48,000-square-foot warehouse near Bellingham’s downtown waterfront. The transaction allows Itek Energy, a manufacturer of solar panels, to expand and hire additional employees to meet demand for commercial and residential applications.

The Port of Palm Beach Board of Commissioners has agreed to waive all cargo fees for Caribbean humanitarian relief supply shipments for six months. This decision responds to the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew on Haiti and The Bahamas.

The Port of Houston Authority is expecting to top last year’s container volume with another record year in 2016.  Volume through September was up 4 percent and "strong growth" is forecast for the remainder of the year. FY 2016 was a banner year for JAXPORT’s container trade, with throughput at a record 968,279 TEUs. That was up 5.8 percent from the year before and beat the previous record, 936,972 TEUs set in 2014. Mexico’s port system processed nearly 223.2 million metric tons of cargo during the first nine months of 2016, about the same as last year, according to the federal port agency, Coordinación General de Puertos y Marina Mercante.

Senior Planner; Florida; Broward County, Port Everglades Department

Finance Manager; Columbia City, Oregon; Port of St. Helens

Build America Bureau Transportation Specialist, Project Development Lead; Washington, D.C; Maritime Administration

Executive Director; Columbia City, Oregon; Port of St. Helens

District Freight Coordinator; Orlando and or Deland, Florida;State of Florida Department of Transportation

Assistant Vice President -- Commercial; New Orleans, Louisiana; Port of New Orleans

Marine Engineer; Riviera Beach, Florida; Port of Palm Beach District

Manager, Intermodal Rail Development; New York, New York; The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Deputy Executive Director - Airport Operations and Emergency Management; Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles World Airports

Deputy Executive Director II - Maintenance and Facilities; Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles World Airports

CEO/ Executive Director; Vancouver, Washington; Port of Vancouver USA

Operations Manager; Beaumont, Texas; Port of Beaumont