The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans elected long-time coffee industry executive and civic leader Thomas D. Westfeldt as its chairman today, succeeding Capt. A.J. Gibbs, whose term as chairman expired. Gibbs will continue to serve as a commissioner.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed Westfeldt to the Board in August of 2006.
A graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in business administration, Westfeldt serves as president of Westfeldt Brothers Inc., a green coffee importing firm; Westfeldt Brothers Forwarders Inc., an export freight-forwarding firm; and Worldwide Service Inc., a full-service air freight-forwarding firm. He is extremely active in the business and non-profit community, serving on the boards of the Louisiana Civil Service League, Metropolitan Crime Commission, Society for the Relief of Destitute Orphan Boys, Green Coffee Association of New Orleans, World Trade Center, New Orleans Board of Trade and Whitney National Bank. He is also an officer for the National Coffee Association and the Audubon Nature Institute and is a member of the New York Board of Trade Coffee Committee. Westfeldt co-founded the Chartwell Consortium, a school for autistic children and represents Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as an honorary consul to Sweden.
“The Port of New Orleans is a vital economic engine for our region and the entire state of Louisiana,” Westfeldt said. “It is a privilege to serve and I will work tirelessly to see that the right investments are made to attract additional cargo and jobs to the Port, particularly as it relates to increasing capacity at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal.”
Westfeldt has seen firsthand the rise of containerization throughout the maritime industry, as traditional breakbulk cargo – such as green coffee – is now shipped in containers.
