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AAPA promotes two longtime staff members

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Mary Beth Long, left, will oversee external affairs, while Meredith Martino will lead member engagement
The American Association of Port Authorities promoted two staff members, Mary Beth Long to VP external affairs and Meredith Martino to VP member engagement.

The moves, effective Jan. 1, are part of an ongoing succession plan and further alignment of AAPA’s organizational structure with the five goals in its strategic plan.

Strong and energetic contributors

'Both Mary Beth and Meredith have been strong and energetic contributors to the work of the association for many years, are well known and respected by our members, and will be excellent leaders of their respective departments as AAPA continues to serve the public ports of the Western Hemisphere,' AAPA president and CEO Kurt Nagle said.

When AAPA’s longtime EVP and general counsel Jean Godwin indicated earlier this year her intention to reduce her role in 2019, the association set in motion a transition process and succession plan to ensure continuity.

Outreach & Membership Services splitting into two departments

Godwin will continue to serve as the association’s general counsel, while the Outreach & Membership Services department she has led will be separated into two departments: External Affairs and Member Engagement.

The new External Affairs department will focus on two of the organization’s five strategic goals, awareness and professional development, while the Member Engagement department will be charged to address the goals of relationship-building and relevance. AAPA’s fifth strategic goal, advocacy and representation for its US members, will continue to be the focus of the association’s Government Relations department, led by VP government relations Susan Monteverde.

Mary Beth Long

Long began working at AAPA in 1999 as part of the Government Relations department and has held several positions within the association. Prior to AAPA, she coordinated legislative activities at the law firm of Thomson Coburn. From 1996 to 1998, she worked for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and before that, on behalf of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association.

In her new role, Long will expand the association’s leadership on workforce development issues, continue to increase thought leaders’ awareness of the Western Hemisphere port industry and garner support for US ports among lawmakers.

Meredith Martino

Hired in 2004, Martino also got her start at AAPA in the Government Relations department and has been engaged in multiple areas of the association over the past 15 years. Her previous experience includes serving as AAPA’s director of Publications, Digital Media & Technology, lobbying for the Travel Industry Association of America (now US Travel) and working in the Senate for retired senators Tim Johnson and John Glenn.

Martino will work to pursue new forms of non-dues revenue for the association, use more sophisticated technology applications to better facilitate member engagement and provide thought leadership and timely content on common challenges facing the hemisphere’s ports.

'As my role shifts here at AAPA, I’m excited that Mary Beth and Meredith are being promoted to lead their respective departments and believe this realignment sets the organization on a sound path toward continuing to enhance the value AAPA provides to our members and the hemispheric port industry,' Godwin said.