Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn to receive AAPA ‘Port Person of the Year’ award on March 21

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - High-ranking government officials, public policy influencers, CEOs and leaders from port authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere, along with a host of maritime industry leaders will converge on Washington, D.C., March 20-21, to participate in the 2018 Spring Conference of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas.

Among the conference highlights will be presentation of the 2018 “Port Person of the Year” award to U.S. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX); a keynote luncheon address by U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment; and policy presentations by Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, the Honorable David MacNaughton, and by Richard Balzano, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

Paul Bingham, with Hackett Associates, will provide the March 20 luncheon presentation, titled World Economic and Trade Outlook Under Changes in Trade Policies.

A session called Perception vs. Reality on Trade will feature the perspectives of trade experts from a variety of industry sectors. Panelists include Evelyn M. Suarez, with The Suarez Firm; Bruce Stokes, with Pew Research Center; Yuri Unno, with Toyota Motor North America, Inc.; Julia K. Hughes, with the U.S. Fashion Industry Association; and Brian Kuehl of Farmers for Free Trade. In another session, The Future of the Workforce, panelists will discuss port industry workforce challenges and possible solutions. The business program will conclude on March 21 with panels addressing prospects for infrastructure and water resources legislation in this year’s Congress.

The following day, AAPA will lead a delegation of U.S. port authority members who will travel to Capitol Hill to advocate on a host of issues important to their ports.

“This year’s Spring Conference is going to be extraordinary, with key business, port and government officials, along with top subject matter experts, delving into issues that are making national and international news. We’re particularly pleased to have Senator Cornyn join us for this year’s event to recognize his leadership, and support for, public ports,” said AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle.