Los Angeles City Engineer and former engineering bureau
general manager Gary Lee Moore has begun his duties as interim director of the
Port of Los Angeles, taking over for retiring Executive Director Geraldine
Knatz.
Knatz was the port’s executive director for almost eight
years before announcing in October that she was stepping down.
In his decade-long tenure as city engineer for Los Angeles, Moore
oversaw an annual operating budget of $149 million, according to the city. Prior
to that, he was General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Bureau of
Engineering, where he was responsible for the city’s public infrastructure
network; his duties included the planning, design and construction of all
public facilities.
“Gary is a trusted public servant, with a 28-year track
record with the city,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appointed Moore to
the position last month, said in a statement. “His leadership will be critical
in our efforts to grow and maximize the port’s economic impact while minimizing
environmental concerns in Harbor area neighborhoods and the entire Los Angeles
region.”
Moore’s first order of business will be a trip to Japan,
where he will meet with Japanese customers and port officials.
“The port is a critical economic engine for the city and
region,” Moore said. “In the face of fierce global competition, my focus will
be to keep us on a path of sustained growth that generates jobs and business
investment, and also assures that we retain our position as the nation’s
leading port.”
