MarAd official Carlton to lead NIT League

MarAd official Carlton to lead NIT League The National Industrial Transportation League late Wednesday announced the selection Bruce J. Carlton, assistant administrator at the Maritime Administration, as its next president, effective June 1.

Carlton

   Carlton replaces John Ficker, who left the organization late last year to become a supply chain executive at First Industrial Realty Trust, one of the nation’s largest warehouse and industrial park developers. Annette Sandberg, former administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, has led NIT League on an interim basis since the beginning of the year.
   Carlton is the senior career official at MarAd. He is responsible for the agency’s international activities, including bilateral and multilateral negotiations. He also directs overall policy development and implementation, economic analysis, strategic planning and data acquisition. He has received Presidential Rank Awards of Distinguished and Meritorious Executive for members of the Senior Executive Service.
   His 30-year career in international trade and marine transportation includes stints as acting deputy administrator of MarAd and director of its Office of Maritime Labor and Training.
   “We are very fortunate to have Bruce as our new president. He brings a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience in the transportation industry and Washington, D.C., to his new role in the League. Bruce’s leadership skills and business acumen will advance the League’s profile as a leader in the transportation community,” NIT League Chairman Curt Warfel, said in a statement.

Ficker

   Carlton was the key negotiator for bilateral agreements with China, Russia, Brazil, Vietnam, Japan and Ukraine to open their maritime markets. He also led Department of Transportation efforts to enact the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and negotiation of the new UNCITRAL convention on cargo liability.
   He has served as chairman of the Maritime Transport Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Committee of the Whole at the International Labor Organization, where he guided delegates to adopt the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006.
   Carlton has a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan, and a M.A. in economics from Wayne State University.
   MarAd has recently placed more emphasis on helping coordinate development of inland freight infrastructure that connects to the ports, in addition to promoting the U.S. maritime industry.
   The NIT League celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. It represents several hundred shippers and carriers on business and regulatory issues related to ocean, rail, highway and air transport, cargo, homeland security and competition in domestic and international commerce.
   Shippers' NewsWire reported Carlton's appointment earlier Wednesday, citing an association officer privy to the decision. ' Eric Kulisch