Gary Nelson elected AAPA board chairman

The executive director of Washington state’s Port of Grays Harbor will be installed as chairman for a one-year term in October.

   Gray Nelson, the executive director of Washington state’s Port of Grays Harbor, was elected Tuesday as the American Association of Port Authorities 2019-20 board chairman.
   He is scheduled to be installed as chairman for a one-year term at AAPA’s 2019 Annual Convention set for Oct. 12 to 15 in Norfolk, Va. He will assume the chairmanship from William Friedman, president and CEO for the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.
   Nelson joined the Port of Grays Harbor in April 2000 with a background in private sector management, including in trading wood products throughout the Pacific Rim, which has resulted in his development of connections and networks in the international trade arena. During his tenure as executive director, the Port of Gray Harbor “has experienced exponential growth in cargo shipments, private investments and business activity,” according to the AAPA.
   Since joining the port, he has been active in developing Grays Harbor’s sustainable industry corridor and worked to develop the Grays Harbor Jobs Team, an inter-local group of local agencies dedicated to supporting family-wage jobs and setting project priorities for economic development projects.
   “With his valuable experience as a port director involved with diversified cargo, his international trade background and his longstanding active engagement with AAPA and our member ports throughout the hemisphere, Gary Nelson is an outstanding choice for leading our association during the upcoming activity year,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO.