By Karen Robes Meeks
Two new Long Beach harbor commissioners will be sitting on the dais on Aug. 14.
Former California Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal and real estate business owner Frank Colonna will serve on the board that oversees the Port of Long Beach and the city’s Harbor Department.
The Long Beach City Council on Wednesday confirmed Mayor Robert Garcia’s appointments of Colonna and Lowenthal, both former council members.
Colonna will take over for Commissioner Doug Drummond, who has been serving since 2011 and had planned to retire next month.
Lowenthal will replace Commissioner Rich Dines, who has served since 2011.
Harbor Commissioners can serve up to two six-year terms.
Colonna is a longtime real estate business owner who previously served two terms on the council, including two years as vice mayor. He is serving on the Economic Development Commission.
Lowenthal, a licensed family counselor and mental health consultant, is a longtime community leader who served as a board member on the Long Beach Unified School District, a councilwoman and vice mayor and an Assemblywoman who also chaired the Select Committee on Ports and Transportation Committee.
Lowenthal is the seventh woman to serve as a harbor commissioner in the port’s history. It’s also the first time that the five-member board has four women currently serving as commissioners at the port.
Showing posts with label harbor commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harbor commission. Show all posts
Friday, July 21, 2017
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Port of LB Interim CFO Quits
By Mark Edward Nero
Thomas Franklin, who was named interim Chief Financial Officer at the Port of Long Beach just last month, is resigning to join the port’s former CFO at Los Angeles-based commuter rail system Metrolink. His exit continues what has been a yearlong exodus of upper managers at the port.
Franklin said April 7 that he’s accepted a position as Metrolink’s comptroller and will depart his current role later this month. In his new job, he’ll report to former POLB CFO Sam Joumblat, who was named Metrolink’s CFO in February after six years with the port.
Franklin had been Joumblat’s assistant at the port since 2009. His departure is just the latest in a string of exits by Long Beach managers over the past year, the most significant of which was the resignation of then-Executive Director Chris Lytle in May 2013 to take the same role – but with higher pay – at the smaller Port of Oakland.
In addition, the positions of Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director of Trade Development & Port Operations, Director of Construction Management, Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Chief Finance Officer have all come open over the past year, some of which, but not all, have been filled.
Last month, Doug Albrecht, the port’s director of information management, announced his retirement, and port maintenance director Randy Rich announced he was also leaving.
Additionally, two seats on the port’s Board of Harbor Commissioners came open last November after the Long Beach City Council fired then-board President Thomas Fields and Vice President Nick Sramek resigned. One seat was filled in early December by Lori Ann Farrell, a former Chief Financial Officer for the City of Long Beach, but the seat formerly occupied by Fields currently remains vacant.
Thomas Franklin, who was named interim Chief Financial Officer at the Port of Long Beach just last month, is resigning to join the port’s former CFO at Los Angeles-based commuter rail system Metrolink. His exit continues what has been a yearlong exodus of upper managers at the port.
Franklin said April 7 that he’s accepted a position as Metrolink’s comptroller and will depart his current role later this month. In his new job, he’ll report to former POLB CFO Sam Joumblat, who was named Metrolink’s CFO in February after six years with the port.
Franklin had been Joumblat’s assistant at the port since 2009. His departure is just the latest in a string of exits by Long Beach managers over the past year, the most significant of which was the resignation of then-Executive Director Chris Lytle in May 2013 to take the same role – but with higher pay – at the smaller Port of Oakland.
In addition, the positions of Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director of Trade Development & Port Operations, Director of Construction Management, Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Chief Finance Officer have all come open over the past year, some of which, but not all, have been filled.
Last month, Doug Albrecht, the port’s director of information management, announced his retirement, and port maintenance director Randy Rich announced he was also leaving.
Additionally, two seats on the port’s Board of Harbor Commissioners came open last November after the Long Beach City Council fired then-board President Thomas Fields and Vice President Nick Sramek resigned. One seat was filled in early December by Lori Ann Farrell, a former Chief Financial Officer for the City of Long Beach, but the seat formerly occupied by Fields currently remains vacant.
