In the first few days of October, two of the industry’s longest-serving port leaders passed away … one from the result of a tragic accident and another from natural causes.
On Oct. 4, Port of Grays Harbor District 2 Commissioner Jack Thompson succumbed to a head injury he sustained after falling five days earlier in Santiago, Chile. Commissioner Thompson and his wife, Trish, were in Chile for AAPA’s 107th Annual Convention in Valparaiso. On the opening day of the convention, attendees participated in a moment of silence to honor Commissioner Thompson.
In a press release, Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Gary Nelson acknowledged the passing of Commissioner Thompson as “a tremendous loss,” spoke of his legacy of economic development and job creation, and thanked AAPA staff, the Port of Valparaiso, the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Department of Commerce “for providing support and resources during this difficult time.”
After the convention ended, as attendees were traveling home from Valparaiso, they learned that on Oct. 10, a great force of nature and a Great Lakes legend – Davis Helberg – had died peacefully at his home in Esko, Minn., after battling cancer. Mr. Helberg, who was a past AAPA Chairman of the Board (1994-95) and a frequent presenter at AAPA seminars and conferences, retired from the Duluth (Minn.) Seaway Port Authority in 2003 after 24 years, making him the longest serving port director in the Great Lakes, and among the longest serving of all the nation's ports.
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