A salute to Steinke

The person selected to replace Richard Steinke as executive director at the Port of Long Beach will have tremendous shoes to fill.

“Dick has been instrumental in developing the Port of Long Beach into one of the top seaports in the world,” said Nick Sramek, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, which governs the gateway. “He led the port out of the recent recession, keeping it strong financially, while guiding our major modernization and environmental projects.”

Sramek said the Board of Harbor Commissioners would begin the search for Steinke’s successor shortly, and Steinke has agreed to assist the Board in both the selection process and the smooth transition to a new executive director.

Steinke’s leadership extended throughout the U.S. port industry. He has been the chief spokesman for the U.S. West Coast Collaboration, a partnership of West Coast ports and the major western railroads. He has been chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities and the California Association of Port Authorities. Steinke serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility Joint Powers Authority, the Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce, Intermodal Transportation Institute and St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach and he is a member of the Red Cross CEO Advisory Committee.?

LM, like the rest of the shipping community, recognizes his legacy, and wishes him well.

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