By Mark Edward Nero
After five years at the port and three years in his current position,
Port of Coos Bay CEO David Koch is stepping away from the job at the end of
July.
Koch originally came to the port as chief operating officer
in October 2010 before being promoted to CEO in 2012.
“I told the commission when they hired me that I could
get it (the port) so far, then it was important for me to step aside and hire a
professional port manager to get in here, who has the experience,” Koch said in
a statement explaining his imminent departure. “For me, it’s the recognition
that it’s time for me to step aside and bring in that experienced port manager
that can take us to that next level.”
Prior to
joining Coos Bay, Koch was one of the port’s contract attorneys with the
Stebbins & Coffey law firm. He was named the port’s interim CEO
in December 2011, replacing Jeff Bishop, who resigned that November after seven
years in the position in order to accept a position as city manager of an
Oklahoma town.
Koch has an
agreement to continue as a consultant for the port for 90 days after his
departure, an arrangement that Bishop also had with the port after his 2011
resignation.
Koch’s departure means the port’s top two executive
positions will soon be vacant; Chief Commercial Officer Martin Callery turned
in his resignation last summer and, after originally planning to leave in
January, is set to depart at the end of this month.
Callery has cited the port’s evolution and its shift from
his focus of rail issues to maritime commerce among the reasons why he’s
stepping down.