The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners recently named 17-year Harbor Department employee Matt Plezia as the new Director of Master Planning. Plezia has been serving as Acting Director of Master Planning since September, following the retirement earlier this year of Director Larry Cottrill. Plezia joined the Port of Long Beach in 1997 as a Trade Analyst, and moved to planning in 2002. He was promoted to Manager of Master Planning in April 2013. His promotion to Director is effective immediately. Plezia attended the University of Toledo, in Ohio, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics. The Master Planning Division, which is part of the Port’s Bureau of Planning and Environmental Compliance, evaluates Port land use, maintains the Port Master Plan, prepares long-range cargo forecasts, and evaluates the economic impacts of Port operations. The Division also leads the Port’s coordination with the Long Beach Gas & Oil Department regarding oil operations in the Harbor District. The Division works closely with other city departments, Coastal Commission staff, and local and regional planning agencies.