New Long Beach Commissioners

By Karen Robes Meeks

Lou Anne Bynum and Tracy Egoscue have been elected to serve as president and vice president, respectively, of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners− the five-member body of mayor-appointed Long Beach residents that governs the Port of Long Beach. Bynum, who was first appointed to the commission in May 2014, is executive vice president of College Advancement and Economic Development for Long Beach City College. Prior to the July announcement, she was the board vice president, and will take over for Lori Ann Guzmán, who will now act as board secretary.

“It’s an honor to be chosen as president,” Bynum said. “We have much important work to do on behalf of our customers and city. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners, Executive Director Mario Cordero and port staff to continue to build the best and greenest port of the future.”

Egoscue, who was appointed by Mayor Robert Garcia in September 2014, is an environmental attorney based in Long Beach.

POLB Adopts $829 Million Budget

By Mark Edward Nero

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on June 1 approved an $829 million budget for its upcoming fiscal year, nearly $30 million less than for FY 2015.

The budget, expected to be presented to the Long Beach City Council for its consideration in the coming weeks, designates $555 million for capital investments at the Port of Long Beach, including a major terminal redevelopment and bridge replacement projects.

The $555 million is a $24 million downgrade from FY 2015’s $579 million.

However, for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, 2015, the budget anticipates a 6.1 percent increase in operating revenue over the current fiscal year’s income. The budget also includes the anticipated transfer of $17.74 million to the City of Long Beach’s Tidelands Operating Fund, which is used for beachfront improvements in Long Beach.

The Harbor Department’s spending plan focuses on strengthening the port’s competitiveness in order to attract more business; furthering its role as an environmental steward; and continuing to improve safety and security.

The biggest pieces of the capital improvement budget are the ongoing Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project and the Middle Harbor terminal redevelopment project, which are each expected to cost more than $1 billion over several years to complete. Other improvements include sewer and street projects, dredging and rail improvements.

The budget also includes funds for planning activities for the port’s “Energy Island;” a concept of enhancing energy security and sustainability, and for ongoing improvements as part of the critical “supply chain optimization” efforts to boost efficiency at the San Pedro Bay ports.

New LB Harbor Commissioner Approved

By Mark Edward Nero

For the first time in its history, the Port of Long Beach’s Board of Harbor Commissioners will soon have a female majority. On May 21, the Long Beach City Council approved the appointment of longtime Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum to the harbor board.

“I’ve long worked with representatives of the Port of Long Beach to develop educational and job opportunities in support of economic and workforce development in the region, and I look forward to continuing those strong ties between the port and the educational community,” Bynum said in a prepared statement.

Bynum, who is expected to attend her first meeting as a Commissioner on Tues., May 27, becomes the third female member of the five-person panel, following Susan Anderson Wise, who was appointed to a six-year term by Mayor Bob Foster in December 2008 and Lori Ann Farrell, who was appointed to her first term by Foster in December 2013.

Bynum becomes only the sixth woman to have served on the board in its 103-year history. She fills the seat left vacant by the Nov. 19, 2013, departure of then-Board President Thomas Fields, who was removed from his seat in November 2013 after conflicting with the mayor. The unexpired term that Bynum now assumes expires in June 2015.

Bynum is the Executive Vice President of College Advancement and Economic Development for Long Beach City College, where she has previously served as Vice President and Administrative Dean.

She is also currently a board member for the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network, Downtown Long Beach Associates and the Advisory Board for the Los Angeles County BizFed Institute. In the past, she has served as chair of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, vice chair of the Long Beach Economic Development Commission and president of the Southern California International Business Association.

Long Beach Harbor Commission Shifts Meetings to Evenings

The Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission, which has typically met during the mid-day during most of its decades of existence, is switching to an evening schedule beginning in January 2014.

The panel’s regular, twice-monthly board meetings are being shifted to 6 pm on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

The next two meetings are scheduled for 6 pm Jan. 13 and 27 at the Harbor Department headquarters, 925 Harbor Plaza, Long Beach, 90802.

Previously, the Board typically met at 1 pm on the first and third Mondays of each month.

The switch is expected to enable more public participation at the gatherings, something that the port has tried to make happen for years, even going so far as to conduct special meetings at locations off port or City of Long Beach property, such as at nearby schools and community centers.

Although Long Beach is making a switch, the harbor board for the adjoining Port of Los Angeles has no plans to change from a day to night meeting schedule in 2014. For the upcoming year, its meetings are mostly scheduled for at 8:30 am on the first and third Thursdays of each month, with a few rare exceptions where meetings are planned for the second and/or fourth Thursdays.

The Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission’s full meeting calendar for 2014 can be viewed at http://www.polb.com/cals/default.asp.

LB Harbor Board Gets New President

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Dec. 17 elected member Doug Drummond as its new board president. Additionally, the board welcomed newly appointed Commissioner Lori Ann Farrell to her first meeting.

Drummond, a former Long Beach City Councilman and retired Long Beach Police Department Commander, was appointed to the five-member Harbor Commission by Mayor Bob Foster in 2011.

Farrell, a former Chief Financial Officer for the City of Long Beach who currently works as the City of Huntington Beach’s finance director, was appointed to the board by Foster last month.

In addition to Drummond’s selection as president, the harbor board also voted in Commissioner Rich Dines as Vice President and Farrell as Secretary. The election of board officers became necessary following the firing last month of former President Thomas Fields and the resignation of then-Vice President Nick Sramek.

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Board by Foster in December 2009, but after a series of disagreements, Foster had him removed Nov. 19.

Sramek, the man Farrell replaced on the Harbor Board, spent nearly six-and-a-half years on the panel before resigning Nov. 21, citing fatigue.

“It’s my goal to promote a spirit of cooperation among the Board and the staff of the Harbor Department,” Drummond said after being chosen president by his peers on the board. “I know that all of the commissioners take our responsibilities here very seriously. We intend to work together to make this port even stronger and better able to compete in the international marketplace.”

In her first meeting, Farrell said she looked forward to her new role as a harbor commissioner. “I’m hoping that together with the other commissioners we can really take our port to the next level,” she said.

With the seating of Farrell, the board currently has four members, one short of its allotted number. A fifth commissioner is expected to be chosen by Mayor Foster and confirmed by the City Council by either the end of the year or in early 2014.

New Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Confirmed

On an 8-0 vote, the Long Beach, California City Council on Dec. 3 confirmed Lori Ann Farrell as the newest member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. She takes the place of recently resigned commissioner Nick Sramek.

“I’m truly humbled by the opportunity,” Farrell said upon voted to the board.

Her confirmation now means there’s one open seat on the five-member panel, which oversees the Port of Long Beach. The lone vacancy is that of the seat formerly held by Thomas Fields, who was removed by the Council by a 6-3 vote on Nov. 19.

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Board by Mayor Bob Foster in December 2009, but it was Foster who, after a series of disagreements, recommended his removal last month.

Farrell has been the director of finance for the City of Huntington Beach since December 2010. Before that, she spent three years as Long Beach’s Chief Financial Officer, and was the city’s Controller from 2006-2008.

She previously worked for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as a financial advisor, and also in financial roles for the city and state of New York.

Sramek, the man she replaces on the Harbor Board, spent nearly six-and-a-half years on the panel before resigning Nov. 21, citing fatigue.

The search is still on for someone to fill the remaining 18 months of Fields’ term; the mayor has said he hopes to nominate a candidate by the end of the year.

New LB Harbor Commissioner Chosen

Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster has chosen former city controller Lori Ann Farrell as his first pick to fill one of two recently created vacancies on the city’s Board of Harbor Commissioners.

Farrell, who now works for the nearby City of Huntington Beach, is set to replace Board Vice President Nick Sramek, who resigned Nov. 21. Sramek’s exit came two days after the Long Beach City Council decided on a 6-3 vote to fire Harbor Commission President Thomas Fields.

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Board by Foster in December 2009 and in June 2013, he was elected to a one-year term as board president by his fellow commissioners.

He had come under pressure from personnel within the port and City of Long Beach in recent months for numerous reasons, including a perceived overbilling of the port for travel expenses. Fields had traveled extensively out of the country on port business over the past two years, including to Hong Kong, Montreal, Europe and Guatemala, sometimes racking up tens of thousands of dollars in expenses.

Sramek’s first six-year term on the board expired July 1, but had remained on the commission the past few months while the mayor was deciding whether to reappoint or replace him.

According to the mayor, Sramek cited fatigue as a reason for his resignation and said the firing of Fields played no part in his decision. In his day job, Sramek is a senior project leader in system engineering for The Aerospace Corp, where he’s worked for over 30 years.

The woman replacing him has been the director of finance for the City of Huntington Beach since December 2010. Before that, she spent three years as Long Beach’s Chief Financial Officer, and was the city’s Controller from 2006-2008.

She previously worked for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as a financial advisor, and also in financial roles for the city and state of New York.

In a statement, Foster called Farrell “the ideal candidate who demonstrated financial discipline while she served as the city of Long Beach chief financial officer,” and said he was confident that she would serve the commission well while the port department is “going through several new changes.”

Foster also said he’s still searching for a candidate to serve the remaineder of Fields’ six-year term, which expires in December 2015.

Long Beach Harbor Board President Ousted; VP Resigns

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners lost two members this week, as the City Council fired the board president, and the vice president resigned less than 48 hours later.

In an unprecedented move, the Long Beach City Council on Nov. 19 voted 6-3 to fire Harbor Commission President Thomas Fields from the five-member board, following a recommendation by Mayor Bob Foster.

“Mr. Fields has been immune to suggestions or advice and is often dismissive,” Foster told the Council regarding his desire to fire Fields. “I have no confidence that he can lead the port or appropriately weigh broader city concerns in harbor department actions.”

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Board by Foster in December 2009 and in June 2013, he was elected to a one-year term as board president by his fellow commissioners.

He had come under pressure from personnel within the port and City of Long Beach in recent months for numerous reasons, including a perceived overbilling of the port for travel expenses. Over the past two years, Fields has traveled extensively out of the country on port business, including to Hong Kong, Montreal, Europe and Guatemala, sometimes racking up tens of thousands of dollars in costs.

Before the vote, Fields defended his tenure on the board, saying that his trips were made with the intent of bringing more business to Long Beach and that some of the trips he made were on behalf of other commissioners who were unable to travel due to other commitments.

“Every decision I’ve made as a member of this commission has been based on what’s best for the port and the city,” he said.

Among those who cast votes against the removal of Fields was Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who said she’d been told that Foster wanted Fields fired because he makes up half of a two-person ad hoc committee tasked with selecting a new executive director for the port, to replace Chris Lytle, who quit earlier this year to become executive director of the Port of Oakland.

Schipske said that she’d heard that the mayor already had a candidate for the executive director position, and that firing Foster clears the path for a new committee member who would go along with the mayor’s executive director choice.

The mayor however, denied this.

“I don’t care what the rumors are,” he said, “it’s not the way I run my office.”

Two days after Fields was fired, harbor board vice president Nick Sramek submitted his resignation to the mayor. Sramek’s first six-year term on the board had expired July 1, but had remained on the commission the past few months while the mayor was deciding whether to reappoint or replace him.

According to the mayor, Sramek cited fatigue as a reason for his resignation and said the firing of Fields played no part in his decision. In his day job, Sramek is a senior project leader in system engineering for The Aerospace Corp, where he’s worked for over 30 years.

Fields’ and Sramek’s departures mean there are now three commissioners left on the Board for now. Only two members are required for a quorum.

Long Beach City Council May Fire Harbor Commission President

During its Nov. 19 meeting, the Long Beach City Council will consider a resolution to remove Harbor Commission President Thomas Fields from the five-member port board.

The resolution was placed on the agenda Nov. 11 by Mayor Bob Foster. Foster has yet to explain why he placed the removal item on the agenda. The removal of a commissioner during his six-year term is extremely rare, but according to the city’s charter, the mayor may remove a commissioner at any time with the concurrence of two-thirds of the nine-member City Council.

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Board by Foster in December 2009. In January 2013, he was elected to a one-year term as board president by his fellow commissioners.

He has come under pressure from personnel within the port and City of Long Beach in recent months for numerous reasons, however, including a perceived overbilling of the port for travel expenses. Over the past two years, Fields has traveled extensively out of the country on port business, including to Hong Kong, Montreal, Europe and Guatemala, sometimes racking up tens of thousands of dollars in costs.

Fields and other commissioners, as well as senior port officials spent more than $448,000 on 12 trips abroad between October 2011 and June 2013, according to port records.

Also, Fields and the mayor have disagreed over the lingering issue of a new headquarters for port staff. In the fall of 2011, the port was considering moving from its current aging, seismically deficient headquarters to the Long Beach World Trade Center a few miles away. Fields was one of two commissioners supporting the move, while the mayor and others supported a proposal by prominent local attorney Skip Keesel to instead build a new building on one of several downtown parcels he owns. Keesel said doing so would allow the port to build what they want and save the port money in the long run.

But after considering the options, the Harbor Commission eventually agreed to purchase an interim headquarters building about 11 miles from the port for $14.25 million, a move Fields cast the lone vote against, citing the distance from port terminals as a reason.

Long Beach Harbor Commissioners Shuffle Roles

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday June 17, elected board member Thomas Fields as its President for a one-year term that begins July 1. He’ll succeed Commissioner Susan E. Anderson Wise, who served two consecutive years as President.

At the same time as Fields’ election, Commissioner Nick Sramek was elected as Vice President. Commissioner Doug Drummond was voted Secretary. Commissioners Wise and Rich Dines will serve as assistant secretaries. All terms begin July 1.

Fields, a Long Beach advertising executive and former city planning commissioner, was appointed to a six-year term on the Harbor Commission in 2009 by Mayor Bob Foster. This marks his first stint as Board President.

“I look forward to serving as Board President; this is an exciting time for the port as we look for the next executive director while at the same time proceeding with our capital improvement program,” Fields said.

Fields is the founder and owner of Thomas Fields Associates, a Long Beach marketing and advertising agency. He launched his career as an advertising agency writer-producer in New York and Los Angeles.

As Board President, Fields will serve as chair of the commission; the duties for the post include running board meetings and representing the port to the public and shipping industry.

POLB Launches Deputy Executive Director Search

The Port of Long Beach has launched a nationwide search to find someone to fill its second-highest management position, Deputy Executive Director. The job has been vacant since its former occupant, Chris Lytle, was named Executive Director in November 2011; he replaced the retiring Dick Steinke.

“The Port of Long Beach is ready to move forward to fill this key position,” Harbor Commission Vice President Thomas Fields, a member of the Commission’s recruitment committee, said.

The port says it’s seeking an experienced senior-level executive to support the Executive Director in the planning, organizing, directing and managing of the POLB’s day-to-day operations.

The position, which essentially functions as a Chief Operating Officer, oversees the daily business activities of the port’s four main bureaus: Engineering, Environmental Affairs and Planning, Finance and Support Services, and Trade Development and Port Operations.

“We are casting a wide net to draw the best candidates to our world-class port,” said Commissioner Doug Drummond, the other member of the recruitment committee. Candidates must have a proven track record of successful management of port operations, financial and strategic planning, government and community relations, and trade and business development.

The search is being conducted by Alliance Resource Consulting, a Long Beach-based executive recruiting firm. The deadline to apply is July 20, 2012. Candidates may submit their information via www.allianceRC.com or find out more about the position at http://www.alliancerc.com/uploads/POLB-Dep-Executive-Port-Director-Profile-FINAL-say752.pdf.