Battles interim head of Port of Houston

Battles interim head of Port of Houston Houston Port Authority Managing Director Wade Battles will serve as acting executive director while a national search is conducted for a permanent executive director.
   The action follows the Jan. 27 announcement that H. Thomas Kornegay was retiring as executive director on Feb. 1 after 37 years of service.
   Battles has served as managing director for the Port of Houston since June 1999, overseeing its administrative and operational departments. Prior to coming to Houston he was assistant port director at the Port of Miami.
   Battles began his career in the late 1960s in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a stevedore and vessel agent. In 1973, he joined Chester, Blackburn and Roder, then Miami’s largest marine agency and steamship operator. He held various positions within the organization before being named vice president and general manager.
   Kornegay served as executive director for nearly 17 years of his 37-year tenure, a record for that position. He retired for family reasons associated with the recent death of his mother.