By Mark Edward Nero
A Port of Oakland planning and environmental expert has been chosen as the next president of the Bay Planning Coalition. The trade group’s 36-member Board of Directors selected Richard Sinkoff to a two-year term in early December.
Sinkoff is Director of Environmental Programs and Planning at the Port of Oakland. In his new role with the Planning Coalition, he’ll lead a 200-member alliance that’s considered the voice of the working waterfront on San Francisco Bay.
It includes port authorities, dredgers, private industry and public agencies and supports policies that link Bay Area economic growth to maritime activity, goods movement and environmental protection.
“San Francisco Bay is at the heart of our economy, our environment and our region’s exceptional quality of life,” Sinkoff said in a statement. “I’m honored to lead an industrial organization that keeps all of those responsibilities in sharp perspective.”
At the port, Sinkoff manages a team responsible for implementing policies that make trade and transportation compatible with environmental sustainability. In October, he announced findings showing that the Port of Oakland has reduced diesel emissions 76 percent since 2005.