Memorandum 15-061 Certified Port Executive Program Report

Memorandum 15-061

TO:                       HOMER CITY COUNCIL & CITY MANAGER KATIE KOESTER

FROM:                  BRYAN HAWKINS, PORT DIRECTOR/HARBORMASTER

DATE:                   MAY 6, 2015

SUBJECT:           CERTIFIED PORT EXECUTIVE PROGRAM REPORT

On April 13 through 19, 2015, I attended the Certified Port Executive training course in Vancouver, BC, which focuses on Port management and planning.  The instructor Captain Jeff Monroe, who wrote and developed this course, had been the port director for both Boston and Main Ports.  After reading the instructor’s biography and speaking with the organizers, I realized that this course was going to be valuable training; a one week brain dump in the classroom on all port management-related information. During the five, 8-hour classroom days, Captain Monroe presented over 900 power point slides and spoke on this very intensive subject matter.  Fortunately, the course is carefully backed-up with a well, laid-out binder and a take-home USB so I can go back and review the material as needed.

Homer has big plans for expansion and I have been working toward this goal for many years.  I read about other ports in the trades publications, talk with other directors in and around Alaska, and pay special attention to other facilities when I travel.  The two weeks of travel and training have been extremely valuable; it has helped me step away from life in Homer and take a much wider look at transportation in general with an eye for where Homer fits into the big picture.  Throughout the year, we will be completing a study on expanding the Deep Water Dock.  After taking this course and trip, I feel I at least know the right questions to ask the hired pros conducting the in-depth study.

The Pacific West coast is an excellent place to use to learn about multi-module transportation.  Beginning at the Seattle Airport, we took the light rail downtown and then caught a passenger train to Vancouver, BC.  Traveling by rail gave me a four hour snap shot of one of the most important links in the West coast’s transportation corridor: rail ways.  From the comfort of my seat, I got the working view of every seaport between these two major transportation hubs.  This is fascinating stuff for a Port Director!  Once we got settled into Vancouver our walking tour began.  We walked for miles around the coastal trails and took in all the sights of their expansive, protected seaport.  I learned from talking with my fellow students who work for the Port of Vancouver that the port has recently been re-organized into one, multi-module port management system.  This means they are much diversified in their operations in both products and handling methods, covering all forms of cargo transportation: Air, Sea, Highways, and Rail.

Time is money, as well as the number of times that a cargo must be handled before it arrives at its final destination. When talking about real estate the catch phrase is location, location, location.  When talking about a seaport we also have to add the word CONNECTION.  You can live in the most beautiful location in the world, like we do, but if you can’t connect with the rest of the world in as many forms of travel as possible, then you won't be a major Port.

Where does Homer fit into the big picture?  When talking about transportation in connection with ports, we use the analogy: the relationship between a hub and a spoke.  In Alaska, especially South central, Anchorage is the “hub” and Homer, Seward, Whitter, and Valdez are the “spokes”.  There is nothing wrong with being a spoke, same as nothing wrong with thinking that Homer could grow into something more than a spoke.

Attached:                 CPE Program Agenda Vancouver, BC – April 13 – 17, 2015