LAX Leader

City of Los Angeles issued the following announcement on Sep 17. 

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka is this year's winner of the Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII)'s Connie Award, considered one the most coveted honors in the maritime industry. The award recognizes industry leaders who have made significant contributions to containerization, world trade and the transportation field, as well as for their innovative spirit. The award will be presented to Seroka at a December 6 ceremony in New Jersey. 

"Gene Seroka embodies all the leadership qualities we look for in a Connie Award recipient," said Steve Blust, CII President. "His strength of character and resilience as well as his innovative approach to solutions have been demonstrated throughout his career, but never more so than over the last year and a half as the world struggled to navigate the challenges presented by Covid-19. While he may live and work in Los Angeles, Gene's action-oriented leadership has impacted our entire industry — not just on a national level, but on a global scale as well."

"On behalf of our entire Board, our congratulations to Gene for this extraordinary recognition by CII and the maritime industry," said Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner President Jaime Lee. "His leadership and dedication to advancing the shipping industry and spearheading supply chain innovation and resiliency has been a tremendous benefit not only to the Port of Los Angeles, but around the world. It is truly an honor to work with an industry leader of his caliber and expertise." 

CII has been presenting the Connie Award since 1972. Award recipients are selected from a roster of nominees and then honored at CII gala events, with proceeds going toward academic scholarships to support next-generation industry leaders. 

"I'm honored to be among the recipients of this prestigious award," said Seroka. "The list of honorees over the years are many maritime professionals who I've admired and followed my entire career. I'm truly humbled to be recognized among them." 

Seroka has distinguished himself as a leader throughout his 33-year career in shipping, global logistics and executive management. As Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles since 2014, he oversees the busiest container port in North America, which has experienced record-breaking performances since his appointment. He concurrently serves as Chief Logistics Officer for the City of Los Angeles, leading the citywide effort Logistics Victory Los Angeles, which links organizations in need of Personal Protective Equipment with available supplies.

Prior to joining the port, Seroka held several managerial positions throughout his 26-year tenure at APL, formerly called American President Lines Ltd. Overseeing sales and management for one of the largest ocean carriers, Seroka lived around the world, including Shanghai, Jakarta, Indonesia, Singapore and Dubai. His duties at APL included a Phoenix-based position as President, Americas. Seroka received his bachelor's and master's degree in marketing from the University of New Orleans. 

CII will also present a lifetime achievement award to Bill Mongelluzzo, senior editor, Trans-Pacific at the Journal of Commerce. Mongelluzzo has been covering Trans-Pacific trade, west coast ports, labor, harbor trucking and marine terminal issues for the Journal of Commerce since 1980.

The CII Connie Awards luncheon will be held at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Tickets are $250 and seating is limited. Sponsorships for the event and tickets are available here. For more information, contact Lisa Aurichio, CII Executive Director at (917) 476-8366 /lisa@bsya.com , or the CII team at (732) 817-9131 / info@containerization.org.

Founded in 1960, CII's mission is to promote and support the business of international trade and the intermodal container transportation community. As a non-profit organization, CII promotes industry awareness, preserves the history of intermodalism, and engages scholarly interest in the field by organizing educational conferences and seminars, arranging internships and facilitating scholarships, among other activities.  

North America's leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $259 billion in trade during 2020. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. The Port of Los Angeles has remained open with all terminals operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Los Angeles