Sharon L Weissman, new president of the Long Beach Harbour Commission, has laid out an agenda of environmental, community, and workforce goals for the year ahead at the Port of Long Beach.
As head of the Board that sets policy for the port, Weissman said she wants to sharpen the Port’s environmental focus by ensuring it works toward meeting a goal of deploying all zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment by 2030 and zero-emissions drayage trucks by 2035.
Weissman stated: “I know we can make real progress on the goals I have outlined because we have an exceptional staff who have been working on many of these issues and making real progress long before I joined the Commission.
“The Harbour Commission is a deliberative body that works together, and I have no doubt we will carry on in building upon the strong foundation we have here.”
She succeeds Harbour Commissioner Steven Neal, who served as the Board’s President for the past 12 months.
In her opening remarks, Weissman said she plans to focus on Improving working conditions for the 20,000 truck drivers who serve the San Pedro Bay ports complex by increasing efficiency and working to secure state and federal financial assistance to purchase zero-emissions trucks.
She aims to work with Metro and the Gateway Cities Council of Governments to make the 710 Freeway safer, less congested and cleaner, while also reducing impacts on neighbours and improving cargo flow.
She also intends to explore whether to build an outdoor amphitheatre in partnership with the Long Beach Symphony on vacant land adjacent to the Queen Mary and the Carnival Cruise Terminal on Pier H, pending a decision by the Long Beach City Council on whether to seek transfer of oversight of the property to the port.
Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero said: “We look forward to collaborating with her in fulfilling an ambitious agenda that will improve the lives of the people who work at the Port and our surrounding communities.”
