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James J. White
Executive Director
Maryland Port Administration
 

James J. White was appointed executive director of the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) by Governor Martin O’Malley, effective August 1, 2007.   In this role, Mr. White oversees the six public marine terminals at the Port of Baltimore.  As executive director, Mr. White returned to a position he previously held from 1999 through 2005.   Some key milestones achieved since Mr. White’s return as executive director include: 

2009

  • The Mediterranean Shipping Company signed a six-year extension to continue serving the Port of Baltimore.
     

  • Carnival Cruise Lines became the first cruise carrier to offer year-round service from the Port of Baltimore. 
     

  • The Port of Baltimore’s public terminals received a near-perfect score on a Coast Guard security compliance exam.
     

  • One of Maryland’s premier environmental projects, a 3,900 square-foot environmental education center built as part of a larger restoration effort using dredged material, was opened for school-age children and citizens. 
     

  • The Maritime Industrial Zone Overlay District was signed into law, which protects thousands of deepwater acres surrounding Baltimore industrial property from development through 2024 and maintains good-paying, blue-collar maritime jobs.
     

  • The Mediterranean Shipping Company began a new direct, weekly container service between the Port of Baltimore and the Far East.
     

  • The MPA received federal funding from the EPA to retrofit diesel engines on dredging equipment and help reduce diesel pollution.
     

  • The Panama Canal Authority and the MPA finalized a Memorandum of Understanding to increase economic growth and commercial activity.
     

  • General cargo through the public terminals in 2008 reached nearly nine million tons for the first time.
     

  • The total dollar value of foreign commerce through the public and private terminals was a record $45.3 billion.

2008

  • A new 10-year contract was signed with Finland-based paper manufacturer UPM that marks the first long term contract awarded to a forest products customer.
        

  • The MPA announced a 10-year contract with international container shipping giant Evergreen Marine Corporation.
     

  • Carnival Cruise Lines announced they would begin the Port of Baltimore’s first year-round sailing schedule in 2009.
     

  • The Port of Baltimore more than tripled its amount of federal port security grant funding from 2007 to 2008.  
     

  • The MPA was joined by federal and state partners to announce a research project that will test the effectiveness of systems designed to safely treat ballast water before it is discharged from ships.  
     

  • Celebrity Cruises announced they would begin a winter sailing schedule from Baltimore in 2009.
     

  • Royal Caribbean International awarded the Port of Baltimore with their “Best First Turn” award for customer satisfaction.  The award recognized a passenger’s pre-board experience at all international cruise ports served by Royal Caribbean.
     

  • The MPA opened a new, 215,000 square foot warehouse for international paper manufacturer M-real.   
       

  • Baltimore’s public terminals handled a record-high amount of cargo in 2007.  The total dollar value of cargo also set a record.  Exports reached their highest levels since 1996.

During Mr. White’s first term as executive director, he led the MPA and the Port of Baltimore to tremendous heights, establishing records in cargo volume and value.  He was also successful in securing several long-term contracts that kept many good-paying jobs at the Port.   Following the events of September 11, 2001, Mr. White oversaw the development of a security program that transitioned from a focus on preventing port-related crimes to preventing acts of terrorism.

After leaving the MPA in 2005, Mr. White served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for New Jersey-based Ceres Terminals, a stevedoring and terminal operations company with major port operations in North America.   

Mr. White joined the MPA in 1993 as director of operations and executive vice president of Maryland International Terminals (MIT), the MPA’s private operating company that offers cargo-handling services to ocean carriers.  From 1995 until his appointment as executive director in 1999, Mr. White served as MPA’s deputy executive director, director of operations and president of MIT.  In his role as deputy executive director and director of operations, he was accountable for all day-to-day operations at the Port of Baltimore and directed lease negotiations with all Port customers.  He acted as a liaison with ILA labor leadership and port customers to promote a cooperative partnership with all the Port’s clients. 

Mr. White’s extensive maritime experience began with Puerto Rico Marine Management, Inc. (PRMMI) in 1975 and included subsequent work with Sea Train (1977 to 1982), where he was North Atlantic operations manager; and Concorde Nopal (1982 to 1985), where he served as vice president of operations. Before joining the MPA in 1993, Mr. White re-joined PRMMI and became that company’s general manager for North America.   In that capacity, he was responsible for a budget of $123 million.  He negotiated all stevedoring, terminal and port authority contracts and determined operating standards and procedures for North America.

Mr. White is a past president of the North Atlantic Ports Association. He is a graduate of Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Economics.   He resides with his family in Bel Air, Maryland.