Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Ports icon Kurt Nagle to retire from AAPA helm

af0ec39c98c8df8778f4b0dc2be5f335
Kurt Nagle - adept at keeping a very diverse hemispheric industry unified
Kurt Nagle, long-time president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities, plans to retire from the AAPA next fall. This follows more than 33 years of service to the port industry.

Nagle began his work at AAPA in 1985 as the membership services director, following seven years at the National Coal Association and Coal Exporters Association. In 1995, he was appointed AAPA’s president and CEO, a position he has held for 23 years. Nagle has been with AAPA for almost a third of the association’s 106-year history.

Collaborating on challenges and policy issues

'It’s been an honor to serve the public ports in the Western Hemisphere and a privilege to work with so many dedicated professionals,' Nagle said. 'This industry is blessed with professionals willing to share their experiences and lessons learned with their colleagues, and to collaborate on common challenges and policy issues. This positive and beneficial culture, along with the wonderful professional staff here at AAPA, have made it a pleasure to be a part of this great industry.'

AAPA’s immediate past chairman of the board, Steven Cernak, CEO and port director at Port Everglades, lauded Nagle’s AAPA leadership and service to the hemisphere's ports.

Exponential growth in services provided

'We’ve been extremely fortunate to have Kurt lead our association these past 23 years,' Cernak said. 'The association, its services to the port industry, as well as its profile and advocacy, have grown exponentially during Kurt’s tenure. He’s been adept at keeping a very diverse hemispheric industry unified, which has been vital to the overall well-being of our member ports and critical to advancing the priorities for the association's US members in Washington, DC.”

At AAPA’s annual convention in Valparaíso, Chile, last week, Cernak passed the gavel to AAPA’s new chairman, William Friedman, president and CEO at the Port of Cleveland.

'Kurt will be sorely missed, but he will leave behind a lasting legacy and a long list of achievements of immense benefit,' according to Friedman. 'Over the years, Kurt has developed and led a strong and stable headquarters staff, and has the association well positioned to carry on its valued services to our membership and the port industry.'

Search for a successor begins

Friedman indicated the process to identify Nagle’s successor will begin immediately, with the goal to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of the work of the association on behalf of the public port industry.

AAPA represents 140 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 250 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports.