Port of Oakland’s Mckenney says “Partnership” is key to growth

Kristi McKenney, incoming Executive Director of the Port of Oakland, says she will enhance partnerships to help the Port of Oakland grow: “I want to say to all of you (that) the only way we go is in partnership. That is a partnership with everyone in this room. And those who could not be here with us today. It's the businesses that generate that revenue and generate those careers. It is the businesses we … work with every day.”

McKenney was speaking at the “State of the Port of Oakland” on February 26th produced by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) and Women In Logistics that took place at Scott’s Seafood in Oakland, California.

McKenney, who is the first female executive director in the Port’s 98-year history, is taking over from the current Executive Director Danny Wan who is retiring on February 28th.

McKenney joined the Port as an environmental planner. She has held several positions at the Port, from Assistant Aviation Director to Interim Executive Director. She has been the Port’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since February 2020.

Sustainable Economic Value

In her remarks, McKenney said: “The Port of Oakland at its core is about sustainable economic value and economic opportunity for Oakland and the region. That is really why we're here. Thousands and thousands of people come to work every day on Port property… Whether you are designing our projects, creating an environmental program, or building our infrastructure … Those are partnerships that are so critical for us being successful. And then there is the community and our leaders. That partnership is also so important because that is who gives voice to what we mean by sustainability and by value and by opportunity. It is not necessarily viewed the same way everywhere in the world, but that is how we define it here in Oakland.”

McKenney noted that the Port of Oakland is not just a seaport, but an airport and a commercial realtor and a public utility for its tenants: “That's a … very important tool as we move into an emissions future. And we can give cost-effective power to our tenants. So, we also want to make sure we are supporting the technological … evolution of our tenants. We know the future is going to be different. Danny (Wan) talked about the fact that the next generation will be different. And so, we are prepared to join you in that transition. We have critical monetization projects. You have heard about some of those gearing up across our assets to allow us to be competitive for decades to come. We are working in partnership to create long-term investments also from our business partners in local infrastructure. And that is going to be mission critical for our growth and it's going to drive more value and more opportunities since that's what we're about.”

The Resilience of Communities

McKenney said she wanted to give credit to Danny Wan and the Port of Oakland Harbor Commissioners for their support of community engagement: “This is the best time at the Port in terms of our community engagement, our collaboration with the city of Oakland and with other cities in our neighboring areas. And guess what? It works. It pays off.”

In his remarks, Wan said that his plans for developing the Port of Oakland were stymied by the COVID pandemic forcing the Port to regroup: “The COVID pandemic happened and turned the world upside down. Everything I knew and everything we knew had to be relearned. The keywords for much of my tenure then turned to disruption, resilience, recovery, and security. And that's what we had to do in the last few years during my tenure. And yet, I think in all the chaos, and I think the word is chaos, that we had some experience with… I found sanity, calmness, and strength in knowing that we could rely on our business partners, tenants, and communities to be resilient and move forward. And that means all of you. So, as I retire, I want to give a big thank you for making my job a lot easier during my tenure. So, thank you very much.”

Wan also referenced renovations at the Oakland International Airport that are helping to drive new business after COVID slowed down air travel. He praised airlines such as Southwest, Hawaiian, and Alaska who “are, the airlines (that) will offer 67,000 seats a month between OAK and Hawaiian Islands. So, remember to fly OAK.”

Wan also thanked the Port’s ocean carriers, trucking partners, warehouse partners, and stevedoring partners including SSA, Evergreen, TraPac, and Matson for their support as well as the support of the men and women represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). Wan particularly recognized the new president of ILWU Local 10 Demetrius Williams.

Wan also recognized the importance of the Port’s agricultural partners. He announced that agriculture giant Wonderful will be entering into a partnership with the Port: “And then there's the Wonderful Company to name here today. They are best known for Fiji Water and many other popular brands. We are in the final stage of an agreement to jointly market the Port of Oakland and the Wonderful Company. And this is a goal to enhance trade connectivity, expand, import/export opportunities, and strengthen the supply chain. Our agricultural community is so important to the Port of Oakland, and we are glad for this partnership and other partnerships in the future like this.”