AAPA Elects New Board Chairman and Leadership

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) — the unified voice of seaports in the Americas — elected a new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sean Strawbridge of the Port of Corpus Christi, during its recent 111th Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Florida. Outgoing Chairman Mario Cordero of the Port of Long Beach made the formal announcement during his address to members and attendees.

AAPA President and CEO Chris Connor remarked on the transition, "Our work at AAPA is bolstered by the leadership and input of our chairperson and board of directors. For that reason, I am thrilled Sean is taking on the responsibility of heading our board. I know his diligence and passion will serve AAPA and our members well. As we transition to the new chairperson, we'll all miss Mario, whose leadership and ideas always made us stronger as an association. I wish him every success as he moves on from AAPA's board."

Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi, Sean Strawbridge, said, “The Port of Corpus Christi believes in the mission of the American Association of Port Authorities and AAPA’s advocacy for cogent public policy and funding for critical maritime and supporting transportation infrastructure in goods movement and commerce. I am deeply honored that the board of my peers at AAPA has named me Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 term. I look forward to serving all AAPA members and working with the Association’s highly competent staff on the complex issues our industry faces in this modern era.”

Strawbridge has over 30 years of experience in the energy and global transportation sector. He has experience in development, capital structuring, operation, and both public and private partnerships. The Port of Corpus Christi is the third largest port in the United States, headed by Sean for almost eight years. The Port is also the largest gateway for U.S. produced energy exports with over $1 billion in assets under management.

Port of Long Beach, Ports America Group, Oxbox Energy, and Sea-Land Service Inc. are some the organizations at which Strawbridge has made his tenure. From these experiences, he has become a top industry leader, writing extensively on trade flow paradigms and the evolving marine terminal.

Strawbridge is a member of the South Texas Bend Community and sits on the board for many different organizations, including the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Art Museum of South Texas, and the American Heart Association of the Coastal Bend.

AAPA membership also elected to its governing board Danny Wan from the Port of Oakland to represent U.S. South Pacific Ports, and re-elected to their seats Paul Anderson of Port Tampa Bay for U.S. At-Large Director; Chett Chiasson of Port Fourchon for U.S. Gulf Ports; Jonathan Daniels of Port Everglades for U.S. South Atlantic Ports; and Sean Hanrahan of St. John's Port Authority for Ports of Canada.

Sitting members of the Board of Directors are Lisa Lefeber of Port of Everett, U.S. At-Large Director; Vanta Coda of Ports of Indiana, U.S. Great Lakes Ports; Richard Hendrick of Albany Port District Commission, U.S. North Atlantic Ports; and Julianna Marler of Port of Vancouver USA, U.S. North Pacific Ports. Board members serve two-year terms.

The 11-member AAPA Board of Directors governs AAPA and consists of elected representatives from each of AAPA's U.S. and Canadian regions within the association's corporate membership. The board meets during the Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. in the spring and at the Annual Convention in the fall, and also on regular intervals throughout the year, for a total of six meetings per year.