FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (October 2, 2026) -  Broward County's Port Everglades received a range of distinctions at the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 115th Annual Conference that took place from September 28 -30th in New Orleans. CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris was elected to serve on the 2026-2028 AAPA Board of Directors, representing the South Atlantic region.  

After completion of a three-year intensive training program, the port's Director of Seaport Facilities Maintenance, Harris Hamid, P.E., achieved his AAPA Professional Port Management (PPM) certification. During the conference, he hosted the Port Infrastructure Maintenance & Engineering training workshop presenting his port guide on how port facilities departments can address practical issues and challenges to make better infrastructure maintenance and engineering decisions. Fellow PPM certificate holder Jorge Hernández, Director of Business Development, was a featured panelist highlighting how the port optimizes land use for the most advantageous returns on investments.

"I am honored to serve on the AAPA Board of Directors and look forward to continuing to work with my peers and port staff to expand the economic impact of port contributions locally and worldwide," said Morris about his second election to an AAPA board. Acceptance of the new board position required Morris to abbreviate his two-year term as the Chair of AAPA's Foundation for Seaports of the Americas Board of Directors while also allowing him to conclude with the foundation's inaugural award of a $5,000 scholarship for maritime education to Nayeli Perez, a civil engineering student at Texas A&M University Kingsville.

Director Joy Oglesby led the External Affairs and Marketing team to achieve a 2026 AAPA Lighthouse Award for Find-a-Cruise, an interactive online directory designed to allow users to search for sailings by cruise line, destination, date or duration and receive real-time information on cruise terminals and parking. 

Port Everglades staff who have also earned PPM certifications include J. David Anderton II, Assistant Port Director; Neil Kutchera, Assistant Port Director of Energy and Innovation; Nicholas Vandenheiligenberg, Assistant Director of Business Development; and Dr. Natacha Yacinthe, Assistant Director of Planning. The PPM certification is designed to prepare public port and supply chain management leaders with essential competencies in maritime finance, logistics and environmental sustainability.

AAPA's annual conference themed Ports Built to Lead! was attended by industry leaders, innovators and stakeholders from across the maritime, logistics, and supply chain sectors. Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 130 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and more than 200 industry solution providers, supply chain partners, academics, and firms and individuals with an interest in seaports.

About Port Everglades

A global powerhouse for international trade, Port Everglades handles an average of more than one-million TEUs annually and serves as a gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Located within the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood in Broward County, Florida, Port Everglades is in the heart of one of the world's largest consumer regions. Port Everglades has direct access to the interstate highway system and the Florida East Coast Railway's near-dock, 43-acre intermodal container transfer facility, and is closer to the Atlantic Shipping Lanes than any other Southeastern U.S. port. Ongoing capital improvements and expansion totaling approximately $3.8 billion over the next 20 years ensure that Port Everglades continues to handle future growth in container traffic. More information about Broward County's Port Everglades is available at PortEverglades.net or by calling toll-free in the United States 1-800-421-0188 or emailing PortEvergladesCargo@broward.org.

October 2, 2026

Media Contact:

Monique Headley, Public Information Officer

mheadley@broward.org 

954-468-3508