Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: George Tablack
Department: Finance and Administrative Services Division: Human Resources
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO APPROVE County Administrator’s nomination of Mr. Joseph Morris for appointment to the position of Director of Port Everglades.
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Why Action is Necessary
Section 3.03.B. of the Broward County Charter and Section 2.6 of the Administrative Code require the Board to approve all nominations for department director.
What Action Accomplishes
Confirms the appointment of Mr. Joseph Morris to the position of Director of Port Everglades.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☐County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Section 3.03.B. of the Broward County Charter and Section 2.6 of the Administrative Code provide for the County Administrator to nominate all department heads subject to approval by a majority vote of the Board. Consistent with these requirements, the County Administrator presents the nomination of Mr. Joseph Morris for appointment to the position of Director of Port Everglades with the recommendation that Mr. Morris’s appointment be approved as presented with a start date of on or before July 22, 2024.
Mr. Morris meets the qualification requirements for the position as stated in Section 16.1 of the Administrative Code: “…degree from an accredited college or university and extensive progressively responsible experience in seaports, transportation, and/or business management, including several years of experience in an executive management or administrative capacity of complex governmental or private business organizations, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.”
Mr. Morris has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and has over 25 years of experience in the global transportation industry including container shipping, marine terminal, and the port industry.
Mr. Morris is currently the Port Director for the Massachusetts Port Authority where he is responsible for managing all the Maritime business activities, including at Conley Terminal, Flynn Cruiseport Boston, multiple real estate properties, five public parks, and public access properties. He is also responsible for leading business development efforts, including the first new shipping line to call Boston in more than seven years and developing capital investment plans.
Mr. Morris has been responsible for redesigning facility layout, refining asset acquisition plans, and developing the master plan for implementation and business start-up of the blue-field container terminal. He has worked with government authorities representing multiple countries including Costa Rica, USA, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Great Britain, and led teams responsible for planning vessel, rail, gate, and yard operations for the largest container terminal in the USA (APM Terminals, Los Angeles). Additionally, Mr. Morris has developed and executed planning efforts and negotiation strategies for more than 50 global terminal development projects. This included greenfield sites, blue-field projects, and acquired facilities.
Source of Additional Information
Monica Cepero, County Administrator, 954-357-7354
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
Annual salary and benefits are included in the department’s FY24 budget.