Page 22 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 2 2024

longshoremen have, their membership and their leadership, is something
they need to be very proud of. They become part of our story when we
go out to entice new businesses. Those businesses want to know what type of labor they’ll have access to when they’re making decisions at
the corporate level. So ultimately, our partners help us tell the story in making sure Baltimore is seen as the port of choice for both imports and exports.
QWhat do you consider the most important responsibilities in your new position as MPA Executive Director?
There are a lot of stakeholders at the Port that need to be brought together. That includes the 33 private terminals we have here, in addition to our public facilities. The record 52.3 million
tons of foreign cargo we moved last year, which made us number 9 in total tonnage, doesn’t differentiate
between public or private. There is strength in numbers.
The strength of the Port happens to be the 20,000 jobs that are directly impacted by Port operations. That’s up from 15,000 just a few years ago, so we’re moving in the right direction. It’s also the $15 billion of total economic impact by all Port operations. That shows us as a true job creator and economic generator for the state of Maryland and beyond.
One of my great responsibilitiesis the creation of a long-term master vision plan that takes into consideration infrastructure development, including the cost of that development. If we want to continue to show strong growth, what investments are necessary for us to evolve?
We want to be able to grow the Port, and grow it in a way that does not negatively impact the community. We want to make sure we don’t overwhelm the community with congestion, and that we understand what our outputs are, both positive and negative.
We want to ensure that the way in which we dredge and manage our dredged material continues
to be seen as a bellwether for environmental conservation. A lot of the ports are struggling to meet their environmental resiliency obligations. We are seen as a model, but we’re not going to rest on past successes.
[20] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 2 / 2024