Port of Cleveland Elects First Female Chair in 50 Year History; Chairwoman Supported by All Female Officers
Cleveland, OH (March 7, 2019) – For the first time in its 50 year history, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (Port of Cleveland) has a female Chairperson leading the board of directors. The Board met for their monthly meeting to review projects and to elect their new slate of officers. Newly elected Chairwoman Jan Roller takes over for her predecessor Darrell L. McNair, today upon completion of his chairmanship.
New Port of Cleveland Board of Directors Leadership
The Port Authority also made history by appointing an all-female slate of officers; Director Patricia Ramsey was elected Vice Chair and Director Harriet Applegate was elected Secretary/Fiscal Officer. Chairwoman Roller graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and went on to establish herself as a leader in the regional law community. Chairwoman Roller has sat on boards and committees in service of the community throughout her career. Vice Chair Patricia Ramsey is Vice President of Community and Economic Development for Fifth Third Bank in Northeastern Ohio. Ramsey has more than 30 years of experience in community and economic development roles within the financial services industry. Secretary/Fiscal Officer Harriet Applegate currently serves as Executive Secretary of the North Shore Federation of Labor. Harriet has a passion for advocating for common sense economics and for involving working people in politics and policy. Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority President Will Friedman expressed his excitement at the new phase of leadership. “We are so proud of our board and our board leadership. All three new officers are very accomplished professionals, leaders and public servants, whom happen to be women. We are very excited to work with our new board leadership and look forward to a successful 2019 shipping season.”
New Cargo Development Partnership
Board of directors also discussed the Port of Cleveland’s new partnership with Logistec. Spokesmen from Logistec presented to the board their goals and vision for the partnership as the exclusive terminal operator for the Port of Cleveland general cargo terminal. On the elevated relationship with the company, Will Friedman said “We are glad to partner with Logistec with our joint goal of growing cargo volume and economic activity throughout Northeast Ohio and at the Port of Cleveland.”
The presence of Logistec as the operator of the general cargo terminal brings all maritime and logistics operations for the Port of Cleveland under one terminal operator. This provides all shippers with a seamless solution for all cargoes including: bulk commodities such as iron ore and stone as well as general cargo commodities including containerized cargo and breakbulk/project cargo.
About Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
The Port of Cleveland is one of the largest ports on the Great Lakes. Over 20,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in annual economic activity are tied to the roughly 13 million tons of cargo that move through Cleveland Harbor each year. The Port of Cleveland is the only local government agency whose sole mission is to spur job creation and economic vitality in Cuyahoga County. The Port is an economic engine for the community, a key to Northeast Ohio's global competitiveness, and a crucial partner in building Cuyahoga County's future. For more information, please visit: www.portofcleveland.com
