The following article appeared in the August 19th edition of the East Oregonian:



Puzey named president of Pacific Ports
Port of Umatilla manager takes on global duties as head of 30-port association

By DEAN BRICKEY
The East Oregonian (Reprinted with permission)

The Association of Pacific Ports has installed Kim Puzey as its 2009-2010 president.

Puzey, general manager of the Port of Umatilla, took over as leader of the 60-member organization Aug. 12 in Taipei, Taiwan.

He replaced Ding-Hsun Hsiao, director general of Keelung Harbor Bureau, whose port is on the north side of Taiwan.

Association members represent about 30 ports on Pacific Ocean or its tributaries, Puzey said, plus about 30 associate members. They are from engineering firms, carrier lines, stevedore and other maritime operations.

The Port of Umatilla has been a member since about 2005, Puzey said, and he's been involved in leadership almost from the beginning. He thinks it's valuable for the port to be a member.

"It is a way to network with your fellow port directors along the Pacific," he said.

Among Puzey's goals for the coming year is to attract a member from the People's Republic of China.

"Trade brings peace," he said. "The trade component we work on as port authorities has tremendous value."

Puzey thinks having a representative of a Chinese port in the association could help promote peace.

"The straits of Taiwan can be transformed from a tinderbox of conflict to a corridor of peace and prosperity if we can improve trade relations between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China," he said.

Puzey also is looking forward to hosting the association's 2010 annual meeting in the Pacific Northwest. He said he's already working on ideas for the assembly next August. 

###