PMSA President McLaurin retires

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) announced the retirement of its President, John McLaurin, today after 29 years of “dedicated service.”

In a statement on his retirement, McLaurin said: ““It has been an immense privilege to serve as the President of PMSA for the past 29 years. I am very proud of what the association staff and our membership have been able to accomplish together. I have been blessed with the support of a board of directors and a team of colleagues who have been fully invested in supporting our mission to protect and grow our Pacific trade gateways. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and am leaving confident that the industry will continue to be well represented by the PMSA team.

In California, McLaurin advocated for the interests of ports, marine terminals trucking, longshore operations, warehouses operations and much more.

In recent years, he had warned about the impact of California’s zero emissions regulations on trucking, warehousing and terminal operations.

In Northern California, McLaurin may be most remembered for his leadership in fighting the proposed Oakland A’s ballpark and condominium complex at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal site. McLaurin successfully mobilized a coalition of Port of Oakland stakeholders to oppose and defeat the project on the basis that it would disrupt truck, rail and terminal operations and undermine the Port of Oakland.

As a result of his opposition to the Howard Terminal development, McLaurin was an honored guest at the May Day 2019 labor celebration at the Port of Oakland. At the rally, McLaurin was seen surrounded by the leadership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 which represents longshore workers at Oakland and other Bay Area ports as well as other union leaders.

McLaurin was introduced at the rally as a ‘brother’ fighting for the jobs of longshore and harbor workers.

It was an unusual accolade for the maritime business leader!

McLaurin delegated PMSA Vice President and General Counsel Mike Jacob to be the spokesperson and architect of opposition to the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal development. Jacob won the praise of maritime stakeholders for his efforts and not surprisingly Jacob has been selected by the PMSA Board of Directors to serve as the next PMSA President.

Previously, McLaurin held the following positions: External Affairs Manager, Marine Spill Response Corporation; Director of Federal Affairs, American President Companies; and Transportation Associate, American Petroleum Institute.

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) represents owners and operators of marine terminals, ocean carriers, and maritime industry stakeholders.