Officers and Directors

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

Joseph Hughes
Shipowners Claims Bureau

Joseph E. M. (Joe) Hughes is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SCB, Inc., the Manager of the American P & I Club, a leading provider of liability insurance to global shipping. A graduate of Oxford University and an English barrister by training, he spent the first half of his forty-year career in the United Kingdom and Norway.  Since moving to the United States in 1995, he has overseen the management of the American Club during a period of unprecedented expansion and diversification.  A former President of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York/New Jersey, he is also the Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association and a member of other boards and committees including those of New York Maritime, Inc., the American Bureau of Shipping and Lloyd’s Register.

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VICE PRESIDENT

Thomas Hinderhofer
Cape Liberty Cruise Port

Captain Thomas Hinderhofer is the Director of North East Port Operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Cape Liberty Cruise Port, LLC.  As the Director of North East Port Operations for RCCL, Thomas oversees all in transit and turn call operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and her brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruise Lines and Azamara Club Cruises. His area of responsibility covers ports from Norfolk, Virginia all the way to Montreal, Canada. In this capacity, Thomas directs the guest experience, pier and port infrastructure, stevedoring, security, customs and vessel’s needs while calling to the ports in the North East Atlantic. As a former Staff Captain with Celebrity Cruise Lines, Thomas understands the needs of each calling vessel and how to best establish the ship to shore interface. Thomas is grateful to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ.

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TREASURER

Leslie O’Neal
Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey

Leslie O’Neal is the Director of Finance and Operations for the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey (“SCI”) where she has served as their chief financial officer for over fifteen years. Her responsibilities at SCI include management of the financial and Port Newark operations. Affiliated with the Episcopal Church, SCI advocates for the personal, professional, and spiritual well-being of merchant mariners around the world. Through its Center for Maritime Education, Center for Mariner Advocacy, Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center, and Ministry on the River, the SCI promotes safety, dignity, and improved working and living conditions for the men and women serving in the maritime workplace.

Ms. O’Neal has nearly two decades of experience working with non-profit organizations, including educational institutions and foundations, and over 20 years working with for-profit companies. Other experience includes managing audits, mergers and acquisitions, cyber security initiatives, and risk management. Ms. O’Neal graduated from the City University of New York with a B.S. in Accounting.

For over a decade, she has served as Treasurer for the Life Savings Benevolent Association (“LSBA”). The LSBA is a foundation that recognizes and rewards courage in the rescue of human life at sea or on navigable waters, and encourages training in seamanship, rescue methods, and resuscitation. Ms. O’Neal is a member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (“WISTA”) and a licensed New York State Real Estate Salesperson.

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SECRETARY

Andrew Genn
NYC Economic Development Corp.

Andrew Genn is Senior Vice President of the Ports & Transportation Department at NYCEDC. In his role, Andrew supervises planning and policy initiatives related to waterborne freight and passenger transportation, air cargo facility planning, rail passenger and freight transportation. Andrew has worked at NYCEDC since 1997 growing through the ranks and is fortunate to have been involved in projects that have reactivated and modernized port and rail infrastructure in Staten Island and Brooklyn, launched citywide ferry service, and improved waterfront assets throughout the city. Andrew attended Cornell University (B.S. Urban Studies) and the City University Graduate Center (M.S. Political Science). He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children.

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DIRECTORS

John Atkins
GCT USA

John Atkins is a 37-year maritime executive with extensive experience that has spanned both Marine Terminal and Ocean Carrier operations alike. In his current role as President of Global Container Terminals USA, he is responsible for the strategic oversight and daily operations of GCT’s two container terminals in New York and New Jersey. Throughout his career he has held senior management positions including posts at CMA and NYK. He maintains a distinctive hands-on approach with a focus on customer service.

John is a member of the Board of Directors/Trustee of the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors Association and New York Shipping Association. In addition, John is on the Board of several charities in the Staten Island and Hudson County communities which reinforces his corporation’s philosophy of being a good corporate citizen.

John’s leadership role is also extended into the Port Community. He is Chairman of both the Confidential Discussion Agreement and the Sustainable Terminal Services Agreement, which are two entities that help to further the services of the terminals in the Port of New York/New Jersey. He is also on the Council for Port Performance which was established to improve service levels within the Port of New York.

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Frank Borland
Ironbound Intermodal Industries, Inc.

Mr. Borland is currently the President and CFO of Ironbound Intermodal Industries, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and has the designation of a Certified Public Accountant.  He is primarily responsible for overseeing the accounting and financial operation of the organization.

Mr. Borland began his career in Public Accounting 35 Years ago with several regional firms, finishing with the firm Laventhol and Horwath. In 1996, after 13 years in Public Practice, he joined Ironbound Intermodal Industries, Inc. as the Chief Financial Officer.  In addition to his role in accounting and finance, he was responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the organization.  The organization operates as an outside Depot with two locations in Newark, NJ providing complete services, with the exception of Stevedoring a ship, to the Ocean Carriers, Leasing Company’s and Intermodal Equipment Providers.

In 2008 Mr. Borland was named President of ironbound Intermodal Industries, Inc.

Mr. Borland served as a member of the Customer Care Implementation Team, a subcommittee of the Council for Port Performance from 2014 to 2017 and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors’ Association, Inc., and Treasurer of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ.

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Ronald D’Ambrosio
Norton Lilly International

Ronald D’Ambrosio is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Norton Lilly International.  His 40 year plus maritime career has always been focused in the New York Metropolitan area while having many varied national and international responsibilities for the Agency Company.  A graduate of Manhattan College, Bronx N.Y. with a BS in Business Administration, he has been involved with all facets of the maritime industry and looks forward to his role within the Maritime Association of the Port of NY and NJ.  He resides In Pleasantville, NY with his wife Karen and has 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

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Michael DiVirgilio
Michael J. DiVirgilio & Associates

Michael is a maritime industry professional who has held several executive management positions over his 40 year plus career. Much of that time was with NYK Line (North America) as Senior Vice President of marketing and liner management, as well as Senior Vice President of North America sales. In addition, he served as Senior Vice President of Business Development with its subsidiary Ceres Terminals Inc., up until his retirement from the company in 2014.

Currently, he is principal of MJ DiVirgilio & Associates, a maritime consulting firm. In his capacity as a maritime industry consultant, he has facilitated the implementation of a port-wide RFID-based truck identification system on behalf of a non-profit corporation created by the 6 marine container terminal operators serving the port of New York and New Jersey. This system, created for the purpose of enhancing efficiency, security, and environmental concerns has been leveraged to include a first-in-the-nation port-wide information portal to provide enhanced cargo status information and truck reservations. 

Currently, he serves on several industry boards, including the Containerization & Intermodal Institute of which he served as President up to the end of 2019. He also serves on the Foreign Commerce Club of NY board and the emeritus board of the New York Shipping Exchange.

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Bruce Fenimore
Columbia Group

Bruce A. Fenimore is a successful transportation executive with more than 40 years of experience in the ocean freight and logistics industry. Mr. Fenimore started his career with Trans Freight Lines, Inc. (TFL) in several operations capacities, throughout the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast, which spanned port operations and intermodal. In 1982, he was responsible for the start-up and management of the intermodal department at TFL. After launching Trans Freight Express, TFL’s trucking company; Mr. Fenimore was promoted to Vice President of Operations.

In 1990, Mr. Fenimore joined Columbia Coastal Transport as its President.  Under his leadership, the company expanded its service routes and the size of its U.S.-flag barge fleet operating as many as 11 barges connecting multiple U.S. ports.

As the industry developed, Mr. Fenimore understood the importance of inland transportation and equipment services to accommodate the overall growth of the trade. To strengthen the company’s position and capitalize on the growth, Mr. Fenimore orchestrated the acquisition of a leading depot operator, renaming it Columbia Container Services, and started a chassis leasing and trucking division, Columbia Intermodal, to create the Columbia Group of Companies.

In 2008, along with his business partner John Armstrong, Mr. Fenimore purchased the Columbia Group of Companies from its previous owners.  Since the acquisition, the company has continued to expand.  In 2015, envisioning the need for a return to container-on-barge services, due to the introduction of larger vessels calling on fewer ports, Columbia built the Columbia Freedom a state-of-the-art 910 TEU container barge.  On the landside, Columbia has experienced exponential growth including the opening of the Bayonne Chassis Depot, operating the chassis pool in the Port of Boston, relocating the Maher Terminal empty container depot into the Port of New York and New Jersey, and opening of the Elizabeth Chassis Depot.  In 2018, Mr. Fenimore purchased the remaining shares of the company to become the sole owner of the Columbia Group, LLC and its operating companies.

Mr. Fenimore currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors’ Association.

Mr. Fenimore is married to his wife Jackie and has three daughters and four grandchildren. 

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Jake Gilene
TRAC Intermodal

Jake Gilene, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of TRAC Intermodal, is responsible for all the company’s commercial activities in North America.

Prior to joining TRAC, Mr. Gilene served in numerous sales and commercial strategy leadership positions at Brambles Limited where he spent 15 years.

Mr. Gilene earned his bachelor’s degree in finance while attending Miami University.

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Steve Kalil
Caddell Dry Dock & Repair

Steven Kalil, President of Caddell Dry Dock & Repair Co., Inc. A New York shipyard serving the maritime industry since 1903.I began my career in 1975 at Caddell Dry Dock and became president of the shipyard in 1990.Other positions: Board chairman of the Noble Maritime Collection and past President of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ.

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Steven Kress
McAllister Towing & Transportation

Steven J. Kress, Vice President of Operations for McAllister Towing and Transportation with 35 years at McAllister having graduated SUNY Maritime College in 1979. With an Unlimited Tonnage Third Mates License in hand, Steve was recruited by Interlake Steamship Company and proceeded to Toledo, Ohio to receive an “Open Waters” endorsement for the Great Lakes so he could sail and gain the necessary trips to sit for my Unlimited Tonnage First Class Pilots License. With the First-Class Pilotage from Duluth to Buffalo and everyplace in between Capt. Kress sailed mainly on the M/V John Sherwin until her layup, eventually growing weary of being away from home and interviewing at McAllister on a winter break for a Dispatchers position. Since then, Steve has worked his way up to his current position, volunteering services to the USCG Towing Safety Advisory Committee representing the Tug and Barge Industry, Chairman of the New York Harbor Tug and Barge Committee and the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ as a Director along the way.

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Dennis Lombardi
Institute of International Container Lessors

Dennis has devoted his whole career to marine transportation and port related logistics. He is currently the President of the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL). The IICL is a trade association, representing lessors of maritime containers and intermodal chassis and is active in technological, educational, safety, environmental, governmental, regulatory, and security issues.

He’s held leadership positions with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Romark Logistics, and several positions with ocean carriers and consulting firms.

Dennis has obtained his experience stowing ships, managing and redeveloping marine facilities, negotiating leases, and running trucking and warehouse operations linked to seaports and airports. 

Dennis holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Baruch College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Dennis is also Director on the Board of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY & NJ. He resides in Holmdel New Jersey, with his wife Kathy. He has two grown children and two grandchildren.

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James Mahlmann
United NY Sandy Hook Pilots’ Association

Captain James Mahlmann is a Full Branch Pilot and President of the New York Sandy Hook Pilots’
Association where he is licensed to work in New York Harbor, on the East River and in Long Island
and Block Island Sounds. Prior to his term as President, Captain Mahlmann held various
leadership positions on the Sandy Hook Pilots’ Board of Trustees. As President, Captain Mahlmann
oversees the strategic direction of operational and financial business activities. Prior to joining the
Sandy Hook Pilots, Captain Mahlmann earned a B.S. in Marine Engineering and Marine
Transportation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and sailed deep sea with Master’s, Mates
and Pilots. He has one daughter and lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

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Jim McNamara
International Longshoremen’s Association

James A. McNamara is a 41-year veteran public relations executive with the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO.  He was appointed Director of Public Relations for the 65,000-member organization in August 1981 by then President Teddy Gleason.  He is responsible for coordinating the public relations and communications program for ILA.  He also serves as Public Relations Director for the ILA’s Atlantic Coast District.

McNamara has served as ILA’s Public Relations Director under four International Presidents:  Teddy Gleason, John Bowers, Richard P. Hughes, and Harold J. Daggett.  He has also worked under three ACD Presidents in addition to Teddy Gleason and John Bowers:  Stephen Knott; Dennis A. Daggett and Michael J. Vigneron.

McNamara is a member of ILA Local 824 since 1981 and has served as delegate for the local to the ILA New York-New Jersey District Council for the past 11 years.  McNamara has represented the ILA for almost years as member of International Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO.  In 2017, he was elected to the ILCA’s Executive Board and recently reelected in November 2019.  He is also a member of the National Press Club in Washington.

He currently serves on the Executive Board for the International Maritime Hall of Fame Committee.

A native of Woodside, Queens, McNamara and his wife of 46 years, Alice Grackin, reside in Westchester County, New York.    They are the proud parents of Elizabeth, who is married to Daniel Mueller and proud grandparents to Gabriella, Luke, and Lily.

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John Nardi
New York Shipping Association

John Nardi was appointed President of the New York Shipping Association in June 2013. He previously served as NYSA’s Executive Vice President since 2012.  In 2018 John was the lead negotiator for the NYSA bargaining a strong six-year collective bargaining agreement between the NYSA and the International Longshoreman’s Association ensuring labor peace in the port through 2024.

In 2014, John co-chaired the Port of New York & New Jersey Port Performance Task Force which was created to bring stakeholders together to identify and resolve performance issues in the port which impact fluidity and growth. Today he is vice-chair of the Council on Port Performance (CPP) which is charged with updating the initiatives of the Task Force to help keep the port fluid and competitive now and in the future.

John is a 35 year veteran of the maritime industry, beginning his career with Atlantic Container Line. John’s experience at ACL started with their trucking division, Atlantic Coast Express and later its terminal operating affiliate Atlantic Coast Stevedores in Port Elizabeth, NJ. He was also the General Manager of Liner and Terminal Operations, responsible for Vessel Sharing Agreements and Terminal Operations in the U.S. and Europe for ACL’s liner business.

In 1994, John joined Hapag-Lloyd (America) Inc. where he held a series of management positions. As Executive Vice President of Corporate Operation, John was instrumental in successfully integrating CP Ships North American Operations with Hapag-Lloyd’s after CP Ships was acquired in 2005. He assumed full operational responsibility for Latin and South America in July 2009 when Hapag-Lloyd merged its North America and Latin America Operations.

John is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree and earned his Third Mates License. He is a board member of the United States Maritime Alliance, the North American Maritime Safety Association. He has previously served as Chairman of the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association, the Board of Directors of Consolidated Chassis Management the Maritime Association of the Port of New York & New Jersey, and as a working group member of the World Shipping Council.

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James Overley
East Coast Warehouse

Jamie Overley has been Chief Executive Officer since December of 2010. Jamie joined East Coast in 2008 as Chief Financial Officer.

Jamie has more than 20 years of logistics experience in key leadership roles, and has raised, restructured or refinanced more than $1.1 billion in capital throughout his career. Prior to joining East Coast Warehouse, he was a Partner at Grisanti, Galef and Goldress, where he led several successful corporate turnarounds.

Jamie has held key executive positions in logistics including Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer for large transportation providers ranging in size from $300 million to $400 million. As a result of this work, he is a two-time winner of the Large Corporation Turnaround of the Year Award from the Atlanta Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Jamie is a member of the Rutgers Board of Advisors – Adult Education and sits on the Board of Directors of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY/NJ. Additionally, he is a member of the NY/NJ Freight Forwarders Association, Bi-State Motor Trucking Association, Traffic Club of New York, and the Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce.

Jamie began his career at KPMG, serving public and private companies in the banking, savings and loan, mortgage banking and real estate sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University, is a two-time Ironman Triathlon finisher and has completed more than 20 half Ironman Triathlons.

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Joseph Ragusa
Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors Association

Joseph Ragusa is the President of Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors’ Association, Inc. (“MMMCA”) in Rutherford, NJ. MMMCA is an employer Association that represents approximately twenty Marine Terminals, Off-Terminal Depot Operators and Maintenance Contractors that perform maintenance and repair of facilities, chassis and equipment, and lashing functions in the Port of New Jersey and New York. Collectively, MMMCA contractors hire approximately 1,100 ILA workers who generate over 3,000,000 man-hours per year.

Joe is the primary management representative in the negotiations and compliance of the MMMCA-ILA Collective bargaining agreements with ILA Locals 1804-1 and 1814. He joined MMMCA and the Metro-ILA Funds in 1997 and has held various progressively responsible positions over the years in the administrative and financial management of the organizations. Joe is also a Trustee on the Metro-ILA Funds, a member of the MMMCA Arbitration Committee, and sits on the Port of NY and NJ’s Council on Port Performance.

Joe earned a Master of Arts in Education and Psychology from Seton Hall University in NJ and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Don Bosco College in NJ. Joe’s business philosophy espouses communication, trust, and respect as the keys towards successful negotiations and conflict resolution. He is proud to represent MMMCA amongst a wide range of Port stakeholders, management and organized labor alike, who have made great strides in recent years to promote and improve how business is conducted in the Port of NJ and NY.

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Brian Rau
Vane Brothers

Captain Brian Rau is the General Manager for the Vane Brothers Company’s New York Operations.

Brian is a 1999 graduate from SUNY Maritime College earning a B.S. in Marine science and holding a USCG Master of Towing Vessels and 3^rd mate’s license.  Upon graduation he sailed on ATB’s for Maritrans as a Chief Mate until 2007 when he took a shoreside operations position for a tug and barge company based in Long Island NY. In 2013, Brian joined the Vane Brothers team in Brooklyn as a Port Captain and was later promoted to GM in 2022. He is responsible for two fleets comprised of thirty-five vessels and approximately two hundred employees. Brian takes part in both the Tow Boat and Harbor Carriers as Vane’s representative and the Harbor Safety, Navigation and Operation’s Committee. He resides in Yaphank, Long Island with his wife Nicole and two children.

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Bethann Rooney
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Bethann Rooney was appointed the Director of the Port Department at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in May 2022. She oversees the management, operation, and ongoing development of the major marine terminal facilities in the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest and busiest seaport on the East Coast of North America. As the Port Director, she is responsible for managing a nearly $400 million annual budget, advancing major capital programs, increasing cargo and passenger volumes, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of the Port’s programs and fostering safe, secure, sustainable, and innovative practices all focused on strengthening the Port’s contribution to the regional economy.

Throughout her 31-year career, Rooney has distinguished herself as a leader in port operations, maritime transportation, and global logistics. Ms. Rooney regularly networks with a wide range of customers, partners, and stakeholders and has a proven track record of collaborative, inclusive, and transparent leadership. Since joining the Port Authority in 1993, she has held a series of management positions with progressive responsibilities including operations, leasing, property management, intermodal transportation, and technology planning. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Bethann was named the first ever Manager, Port Security, a position she held for 14 years, developing, and managing best-in-class port security and emergency management programs. Beth then broke new ground once again and assumed a newly created senior role focused on port performance, efficiency, and goods movement after she created the framework for what is today the Council on Port Performance. In April 2019 Ms. Rooney became the Port’s Deputy Director and was instrumental in finalizing the Port Master Plan 2050, helping to lead the Port through pandemic related growth in container volumes of more than 30% and gaining approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to further deepen the Port’s navigation channels to 55- feet.

She is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College with a Master’s in International Transportation and a Bachelor’s in Marine Transportation with qualifications as a Third Mate. She is also an Accredited Marine Port Executive (AMPE) from the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives, recipient of the US Secretary of Transportation’s 9/11 Medal and two-time recipient of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Distinguished Public Service Award.

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Michael Stamatis
Red Hook Container Terminals

With over 35 years of experience in the maritime industry earned from the ground up, Mike Stamatis began his career in 1986 as a dock laborer handling break-bulk bananas for the Noboa Group of companies, Ecuadorian Line/Pacific Fruit Inc in Port Newark, NJ. A privately held group of companies involved in the growing and exporting of bananas from Ecuador globally, consisting of thousands of hectares of banana production, company owned and operated vessels, commercial ocean transportation, chartering, break-bulk and container stevedoring, terminal operations, and many other global business ventures.

Working his way up through the ranks of the company, Mr. Stamatis gained experience in vessel and terminal operations, stevedoring, warehousing and distribution, sales, marketing, importing and logistics.

In 2001, Mr. Stamatis was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for the groups US East Coast division and continued to lead the company’s business. In 2011, after 25 years with the Noboa Group, Mr. Stamatis decided to resign his position in order to pursue new opportunities, which included starting his own importing business supplying fresh bananas to various local supermarkets in the NY/NJ metro market, which is still operating today, and shortly after, he was asked to take on the role of President and CEO of a new business venture, Red Hook Container Terminal, LLC which had just taken over terminal operations in Brooklyn and Port Newark, NJ.

2022 is celebrating 11 years of Mr. Stamatis at Red Hook Container Terminal, having successfully led the company through numerous challenges, and achieving many new successes. Today, Red Hook Terminals operates in four states and is leading the development of a new dedicated port facility in NY for the emerging off-shore wind industry, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, and leading the way in the use of zero emission technology in the port operations, having recently deployed the first and largest fleet of zero emission terminal yard tractors on the eastern seaboard for our container on barge operations in Port Newark, he is proud to say, at the same terminal he started my career so many years ago.

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COUNSEL

Vincent Foley
Holland & Knight LLP

Vincent J. Foley is a New York partner in the Maritime Practice Group of Holland & Knight LLP.  He has advised clients on a wide variety of transportation, maritime, intermodal and logistics contracts and disputes.  Mr. Foley has prosecuted claims and defended clients in arbitration and federal litigation matters, including handling trials at the district court level and appeals in the various circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Mr. Foley has represented marine terminal operators in connection with drafting, analyzing and litigating terminal service agreements, marine schedules (tariffs), maintenance and repair contracts, related vendor and equipment agreements, as well as regulatory and licensing issues and all marine terminal-related operational or support agreements. Mr. Foley has advised clients on Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulatory issues, fact-finding and interpretive rulemaking, as well as related issues involving trade and transportation practices.  He also has advised foreign and domestic clients on projects for development of Offshore Wind installations in the Northeast U.S.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Foley graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with a dual major in marine transportation and marine engineering. Mr. Foley worked as a licensed officer for two years as Third Mate (All Oceans/Unlimited Tonnage) and Third Assistant Engineer (Unlimited Horsepower/Steam or Diesel).

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR