New CAO for Port of San Diego

City CFO moves to port operations

(Photo: Port of San Diego)

The Port of San Diego has appointed Matthew Vespi as its new chief administrative officer. 

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Vespi, with more than 20 years of public sector experience, will lead the port’s Commissioner Services, District Clerk, Executive Office, Human Resources, Information Security, and Information Technology departments and teams. 

He worked for 14 years for the City of San Diego in various roles, most recently as chief financial officer, and holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree of business administration from the University of Central Florida.

Matthew Vespi

Vespi succeeds Elba Gomez, who left the port in June to take a job in higher education. He reports to Port President and Chief Executive Scott Chadwick.

“As we welcome Matt Vespi to the Port of San Diego, I am absolutely thrilled to bring aboard a leader whose professionalism and experience of his caliber are second to none,” said Chadwick, in a release. “Matt’s hands-on approach, steadiness, and genuine empathy have earned him a reputation for fostering collaboration and adaptability in every environment. He is deeply engaged with his teams and dedicated to supporting staff success, and I am confident his commitment will help drive the port’s mission forward as we continue to serve the San Diego region, the state, and our partners.”

In 2024 the port handled 2.36 million metric tons of cargo, including 362,000 import vehicles.

Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.