Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey (SANYNJ) has appointed John Atkins as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer to succeed Susan Winfree, who will be retiring in February 2027 after 16 years with SANYNJ and over 30 years in the industry. Winfree previously served as Vice President, Workforce Development & Corporate Diversity Officer at SANYNJ where she spearheaded the hiring of over 1,000 longshore workers, including over 700 U.S. military veterans.
John Atkins is a 40-year veteran of the maritime industry who has extensive experience in both marine terminal and ocean carrier operations. He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer at Port Liberty USA where he was responsible for the strategic oversight and daily operations of two container terminals in New York and New Jersey. He was also an active member of several industry boards, including the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors’ Association (MMMCA), the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Signal Mutual and the SANYNJ Board of Directors, on which he served from 2014 to 2026. He also served for 11 years as chairman of the Port of New York FMC Discussion Agreement and the Sustainable Terminal Services Group.
Prior to his tenure at Port Liberty USA, Atkins held senior management positions at CMA CGM and NYK. He began his career at SeaLand after graduating from Kean University with a B.S. in Management Science.
