“After a comprehensive international search, the Board of Harbor Commissioners recognized that Mario Cordero is an ideal choice to lead the Port of Long Beach,” Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán said in a statement.
Mario Cordero served as a Long Beach Harbor commissioner from 2003 to 2011, being the President of the Harbor Commission in 2007-2008. According to the port’s statement, during these years, he supported initiating the Green Port Policy and worked on reconciling economic growth and environmental management to achieve long-term, sustainable development of the Port of Long Beach. At the same time, he served on the Executive Board of the American Association of Port Authorities’ Latin American delegation, where he developed policies for greater cooperation, increased trade, and joint growth of North and Latin Americas.
Since 2011, Mario Cordero has been a commissioner at the Federal Maritime Commission and in 2013, he was appointed by former President Barack Obama as chairman of the FMC. He was replaced last February when President Donald Trump designated Commissioner Michael Khouri as acting chairman.
Mario Cordero is a Long Beach resident and attorney who has practiced law for more than 30 years and has taught political science at Long Beach City College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Long Beach and a law degree from the University of Santa Clara.
“I am so pleased to be coming back home to the Port of Long Beach during this time of dramatic change in the maritime industry,” Mario Cordero said in a statement. “The broad perspective I gained at the national level, along with my many years of service as a Long Beach Harbor Commissioner and my love for the community of Long Beach, will allow me to hit the ground running. I’ll be working closely with the Commission and our highly experienced staff in the months ahead to carry out our ambitious capital improvements and ensure that our customers and community members are well-served.”
As we wrote earlier, the US second largest seaport has been struggling to find a new CEO since 2011. For the last 6 years the port has changed two CEOs and two interim executives.
Mario Cordero is expected to join the Port in May.