Dade County official named Port of Miami acting director

Dade County official named Port of Miami acting director    Miami-Dade County has named assistant county manager Bill Johnson acting director for the Port of Miami when director Charles Towsley ends his tenure Monday.
   Johnson is considered to be a leading candidate to succeed Towsley, according to a report in Thursday's Miami Herald.
   As assistant county manager, Johnson was Towsley's supervisor at the county level for the last six years of Towsley's eight years with the port. Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess has asked Johnson to make a detailed study of key port issues over the next two or three months and to evaluate the possibility of becoming permanent director.
   'I want (Johnson) to grab the reins now,' Burgess told the Herald. 'We will assess things after a period of time. Right now he's the right guy at the right place.'
   Johnson has worked for the county for 26 years, and was one of the finalists to become the county administrator for neighboring Broward County until he withdrew from consideration two weeks ago. At that time Johnson knew he was being considered for the Miami port director job.
   Johnson told the Herald he found the port director's job appealing, but added 'I'll know more after 60 days.'
   Towsley is leaving the port to become an independent consultant for the ports industry in the United States and internationally.