By
Rebecca Gibson |
Gary LaGrange is to retire from his position as president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans at the end of April 2017.
LaGrange, who has spent 40 years in the maritime industry, has served as president and CEO of the US port since 2001. During his tenure, the port has invested more than US$500 million in infrastructure, opening new facilities for its cruise, container, intermodal and refrigerated terminals. Port revenues reached record heights for the fourth consecutive year in 2015, while cruise passengers surpassed the one million mark in both 2014 and 2014.
“Gary LaGrange led the Port of New Orleans to great heights over the past 15 years as president and CEO," said William Bergeron, chairman of the port’s board of commissioners. “The board is grateful for the many contributions he made to the port and to the maritime industry during his distinguished career in New Orleans.”
The board of commissioners is expected to name Brandy Christian, who has served as the port’s COO since January 2014, to succeed LaGrange. Previously, Christian spent 14 years at the Port of San Diego in California, US, where she served for five years as vice president of strategy and business development. During her tenure with the port, Christian helped to secure major cruise accounts and significantly improve operational processes.
“Brandy Christian is the right person to continue our momentum and lead the Port of New Orleans to the next level of success,” LaGrange said. “I have said it before and I’ll say it again, you will not find a better team anywhere in the maritime community than here at the Port of New Orleans.”