Hon. Mario Cordero, FMC Chairman, to Receive 2015 Connie Award

JOC Staff |

Long Beach, CA – The Honorable Mario Cordero, Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, and a pioneer in the Green Port Policy, will receive the 2015 Connie Award presented by the Containerization & Intermodal Institute (www.containerization.org) in Long Beach, CA, on September 29. In addition, CII will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Tay Yoshitani, recently retired CEO of the Port of Seattle, who has also held leadership positions in the global port industry.

The industry-wide dinner event honoring Mr. Cordero and Mr. Yoshitani will be held on Tuesday, September 29 at the Renaissance Hotel. Connie recipients are recognized with the prestigious award for significant influence on containerization in world trade and transportation and are honored for innovative spirit in their careers and at their respective companies, as well as for their positive influence on the industries they serve. The Lifetime Achievement recognition is customarily presented to those who have a long-time career in the logistics industry.

Michael DiVirgilio, CII President, said: "It is CII's honor to present this year's awards in Long Beach to two people who have devoted their careers to meeting the ongoing needs of our industry that will maintain a positive impact moving forward."

Mr. Cordero of Long Beach was designated Chairman of the FMC by President Barack Obama on April 1, 2013. Previously, he served as an FMC Commissioner. Mr. Cordero brings with him more than 30 years of private legal practice and decades of public service - including eight years on the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Long Beach (POLB).

Prior to serving at the FMC, Chairman Cordero was active in the Long Beach maritime community. While a POLB Commissioner, Chairman Cordero spearheaded the Port of Long Beach's pioneering Green Port Policy aimed at reconciling economic growth and environmental stewardship to achieve long-term, sustainable port development. During his years serving on the Port of Long Beach's managing body, he served as both a Vice-President and President. He also used his time and leadership position on the POLB to educate the public about the importance of a robust Port, an effort that included new and expanded community outreach initiatives.

Chairman Cordero took an active role in the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a multi-national trade association representing more than 130 public port authorities throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Notably, Chairman Cordero served on the Executive Board for the AAPA's Latin American delegation. In this role, he led efforts to develop cohesive policies for greater cooperation, increased trade, and joint-growth across the combined North American and Latin American footprint.

The Chairman earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree from California State University, Long Beach, and he subsequently earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Santa Clara.

Tay Yoshitani has had an illustrious career in the American port industry serving in leadership positions in some of the country's major harbors. Prior to his role at the Port of Seattle since 2007, he served at the Port of Oakland, Port of Baltimore and the Port of Los Angeles. Mr. Yoshitani has also presided over the completion of a number of infrastructural improvements during his posts, which included Port of Oakland's airport expansion and implementation of successful air quality initiatives in Seattle.

From 2004 to 2007, he served as Senior Advisor to the National Association of Waterfront Employers, providing industry expertise on port security and environmental issues. As Executive Director of the Port of Oakland from 2001 to 2004, he led a significant expansion of both the seaport and airport, overseeing environmental permitting and planning that enabled the airport expansion to use "green building" technology. He was Oakland's Deputy Executive Director from 1998 to 2001. He is credited with creating the first master plan at the Maryland Port Administration, where he served as Executive Director from 1995 to 1998. As Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, 1989 to 1995, he oversaw the creation of the West Coast's largest dry bulk export terminal.

A U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Yoshitani has a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned his MBA at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

CII, founded in 1960, has been presenting the Connie Award since 1972 and it has become the most coveted honor in the field of containerization and its ancillary industries. Among some 40 recipients to date are Robert Curry, Sr., John McLaurin, Richard Steinke, Matthew Cox, Rick Gabrielson, James McKenna, Paul F. Richardson, Captain S. Y. Kuo, Ronald Widdows, Jon Hemingway, Thomas B. Crowley Sr., Malcom McLean and Evergreen Group Chairman Dr. Y. F. Chang.

At the event, CII will also carry out its industry education mission by presenting scholarships to students studying logistics. Any company can sponsor a named scholarship through CII, which has had nearly $600,000 given for higher education under its auspices since 1992.

The CII Connie Awards dinner is $225 per ticket and seating is limited. Sponsorships for event, scholarship opportunities and tickets are available. For more information, contact Barbara Yeninas, executive director at (732) 817-9131 or execdir@containerization.org. The Connie Award luncheon in Newark, NJ will be held on Monday, December 7 and CII will be holding a seminar in Houston on Wednesday, November 18.

About CII

Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII), a non-profit organization founded in 1960, promotes industry awareness, preserves the history of intermodalism, and engages scholarly interest in the field by organizing educational conferences and seminars, serving as an information resource, providing networking opportunities, offering career guidance, arranging internships and facilitating scholarships. For more information, visit www.containerization.org.