The Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT) is conducting a town hall-style meeting Wed., May 15 on efficiency and competitiveness in the maritime shipping industry.
The annual CITT meeting is planned for 6 to 8:30 pm in the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at California State University, Long Beach. This year’s theme is “Efficiency and Competitiveness: Securing Cargo and Jobs.”
The purpose, according to event organizers, is to define what makes a port competitive.
“The pressing industry issue of the year determines the topic we address,” CITT Executive Director Marianne Venieris explained. “The audience feedback collected at previous events gives us a good indication of issues that need clarification in an educational setting. CITT’s Policy and Steering Committee makes the final decision on the topic for this event.”
Panelists for this year’s event include Jeff Coppersmith, president of Coppersmith Global Logistics; Michael Podue, President, Marine Clerks Association, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63; Alan McCorkle, Senior Vice President, APM Terminals; Vic La Rosa, CEO/President, Total Transportation Services; and Roger Rowe of the West Long Beach Association community group.
Setting the stage for the panel discussion will be a video illustrating the complexity of the supply chain and how decisions made at one point along that chain can have far-reaching impacts.
“Our goal is to help the audience discover how efficiency across the supply chain impacts the region’s economy, affects the community, and provides job opportunities,” Dr. Thomas O’Brien, CITT’s Director of Research and this year’s town hall moderator, said. “We’ll also discuss how local decisions affect national and global competitiveness.”
Admission is free. For more information on the event, call the CITT office at (562) 985-2872 or visit www.ccpe.csulb.edu/townhall.
