Freight Industry Coalition welcomes new board leadership

Membership of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) held officer and Board of Directors elections, ushering in leaders who will guide the organization through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization. Erin Aleman, Executive Director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, will transition from Vice Chair to Chair, becoming CAGTC’s sixth Chairperson in the organization’s history. Former CAGTC Treasurer Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach was elected Vice Chair, and Tom Saunders, Head of Government Affairs, Ports America, was elected Treasurer. Each officer will serve a three-year term.

“I am eager to lead CAGTC and champion the organization’s priorities in the forthcoming surface transportation reauthorization, which presents a tremendous opportunity to advance federal freight funding and policy objectives that will benefit the U.S. economy, workforce, and supply chain for years to come,” said CAGTC Chair Erin Aleman, Executive Director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. “I follow in a tradition of strong leaders who have increased CAGTC’s size and grown its reputation among federal policymakers. I am thankful for the leadership of my predecessor, Paul Anderson, and look forward to building on CAGTC’s impressive legacy of policy achievements in support of national goods movement.”

Paul Anderson, President & CEO of Port Tampa Bay, will transition to the position of Immediate Past Chair after serving a three-year term as CAGTC Chair, and prior to that, three-year terms as Vice Chair and Treasurer. Beginning his Chairmanship in 2022, Mr. Anderson skillfully navigated the organization through the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a presidential transition, and the development of CAGTC’s surface transportation priorities for the upcoming reauthorization.

“It has been a true pleasure to work alongside my fellow Board members and CAGTC’s dedicated membership,” said Immediate Past Chair Paul Anderson, President & CEO of Port Tampa Bay. “Together, we secured an unprecedented level of funding for freight infrastructure projects, elevated freight policy to the highest level within the U.S. Department of Transportation through the establishment of the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy and advocated tirelessly for the most efficient and effective implementation of federal infrastructure funding and programming. Despite our many accomplishments, our work is far from over. I congratulate the newly elected and re-elected Board members as well as the incoming Board officers. Their leadership and experience will be extremely valuable as we approach reauthorization.”

CAGTC Membership voted to add Mike O’Malley, Senior Vice President of Government & Public Relations, Direct ChassisLink (DCLI), to the Board of Directors for a three-year term.

Re-elected to the Board for three-year terms are:

• Darin Chidsey, Chief Operating Officer, Southern California Association of Governments
• Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach
• Jim Hagar, Economic Development Project Manager, Port of Vancouver USA
• Captain John Murray, Chief Executive Office and Port Director, Canaveral Port Authority
• Tom Saunders, Head of Government Affairs, Ports America

The Board, which consists of 19 members representing the Coalition’s geographic and organizational diversity, is tasked with the development of CAGTC policy and is frequently called upon to offer guidance and perspective from their own organizations.