Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Grays Harbor Director Named AAPA Chairman

By Karen Robes Meeks

Gary G. Nelson, the executive director of Port of Grays Harbor, has been chosen to be board chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) for the 2019–20 activity year starting this upcoming October.

“With his valuable experience as a port director involved with diversified cargo, his international trade background, and his longstanding active engagement with AAPA and our member ports throughout the hemisphere, Gary Nelson is an outstanding choice for leading our association during the upcoming activity year,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and chief executive officer. “Gary’s outstanding leadership and business skills, together with his easy-going demeanor, will be of enormous value as our member ports work together to address common challenges and legislative priorities.”

Nelson, who’s been with Grays Harbor since 2000, takes the one-year baton from outgoing chairman, William D. Friedman, president and chief executive officer for Northeast Ohio’s Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.