The Alabama State Port Authority director and chief executive officer James K. Lyons announced four promotions within his senior management team to meet expanding administration and operational needs. "We are experiencing significant growth in a number of commodity groups and these personnel changes will allow us to provide better service to both our customers and within our organization," said Lyons.

Lyons will elevate Linda Paaymans from her current position as Vice President of Finance to Senior Vice President of Finance. Paaymans holds nearly 30 years of financial, IT, procurement, planning and production management experience from the cement, chemical, metal component, and aviation manufacturing sectors. Paaymans is a graduate of Yale University and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. She has served in her current position since February 2008 with oversight on day to day financial management and spearheaded improvements to the Authority's financial and information management systems and process efficiency programs.

In another move, Lyons promoted Bradley Ojard from Vice President to Senior Vice President for Operations. Ojard has served in his current position since June 2007 and has been responsible for bulk operations at the port including bringing online the new Pinto Terminal. Ojard holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the Port Authority, Ojard held a number of management positions during his 26 year career with U.S. Steel Corporation. Ojard is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota.

Other promotions focused on the Authority's engineering and environmental programs. Lyons has promoted both Jerald Kichler to Vice President, Engineering Services and Bob Harris to Vice President, Environmental and Program Management. Kichler is a Professional Engineer and holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Alabama. Kichler is a 35 year veteran of the Port Authority and has been involved with every major expansion at the port since 1980. Bob Harris is a Professional Engineer with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University and a Masters in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Harris also earned his Masters of Business Administration from Murray State University. Since 1995, Harris has held management oversight on the Authority's environmental and dredging programs. In 2009, he assumed the reigns of the Authority's Program Management division, which carries the

Authority's Disadvantage Business Enterprise program and capital projects that receive federal funding. Prior to these appointments, both Kichler and Harris have held since 2009 the position of director for their respective areas.