The majority of City Council wants Lake Ray to become JAXPORT's next CEO...
QuoteA majority of Jacksonville City Council members, including the president and vice president, are lobbying Gov. Rick Scott to have state Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville, become Jacksonville Port Authority’s chief executive.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/matt-dixon/2013-02-24/majority-city-council-backs-lake-ray-jaxport-post
The Colliers 2012 survey of America's Best Ports (Which BTW, included JAXPORT) also included:
Virginia
Baltimore
Charleston
Savannah
Miami
Mobile
Houston
Los Angeles/Long Beach
New York/New Jersey
A perfect shopping ground for a new leader. Besides some being a 'home boy' and political favors, what else does Ray bring to the table?
^ I would also be interested to know what his expertise in this area is as well. How many ports has he had a position of control and authority over? Being someone who is a "go getter" and "connected" via several relationships on council is not a reason to have him in this position. I don't see what makes him a good candidate for the job. We need a nationwide job search for this position, not a return to job appointment GOB style. If Lake Ray's skills and qualifications outstrip other candidates then he would be the one for the job. Without a search we won't know that to be true. A full nationwide job search is in order here considering the vital importance of this port to Jacksonville and our economic future.
Just because Lake Ray has "helped" the port in the past DOES NOT qualify him to run it. Recycling a politician, because Ray has no where else to go, with a high paying patronage position like the Jaxport CEO job is simply preposterous. Lake Ray is NOT QUALIFIED to run Jaxport. Period. It's called a "reference" on a resume that he needs, not such a public "endorsement". This kind of political hype screams "corruption", and might deter truly qualified, successful port professionals from applying. Lake Ray as a Jaxport CEO is PREPOSTEROUS.
The new Jaxport CEO position requires an educated, seasoned port and economic professional...a proven port professional with fresh ideas, vision and vigor...not some hot air politician who has never held a "real" job. Unfortunately Schleicher is not the next CEO either...nice enough guy, but he doesn't command respect at that level, a necessary trait of a CEO. A national search, outside of the web that is Jacksonville politics, is required or Jaxport, as well as Jacksonville, will be a laughing stock.
I don't trust anyone if they have such backing from the city or the state. Nor do I trust a national search, they'll just end up picking a local GOB in the end, wasting time, patients, and money. A search should be exclusively consentrated in the Northeast and/or the West Coast. I'm not attacking the intelligence of Jacksonville, I'm attacking the corruption that we're infested with.
I'm perfectly happy to allow Lake Ray to jump into the position if his resume demonstrates experience with transportation or if he has executive experience along with strong shipping connections.
As far as being a "go getter" and "connected," if we're talking City Council what does that mean? How many barbers and janitors can the port handle?
Well I guess Lake Ray didn't get it, being that JBJ didn't have a profile ready to go was this a surprise to the business community in Jax?
QuoteJaxPort hires former Horizon Lines exec BRIAN TAYLOR as CEO
Phone won't let me copy and paste story
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/06/17/jaxport-hires-former-horizon-lines.html
Current job is Senior Vice President Sales & Operations, Government & Aerospace at New Breed Logistics
http://newbreed.com/
Here's a brief bio I found:
"Brian W. Taylor has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since March 11, 2011 and had served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer since December 2010. Prior to assuming his present position, he served as Senior Vice President International Services from January 2010, and as President of Horizon Logistics Holdings, LLC from August 2007, and Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, of Horizon Lines, from February 2006 through August 2007. He served as Vice President and General Manager, Hawaii and Guam, of Horizon Lines from June 2000 through January 2006. Mr. Taylor was Vice President and General Manager for the Puerto Rico market from July 1998 to June 2000. Previously, Mr. Taylor held various management positions in sales and marketing both in North America and Asia, including General Manager, of Buyers Consolidators, Ltd., Hong Kong, an affiliate of Sea-Land. He joined Sea-Land in 1984 as a sales representative in Montreal, Canada. Mr. Taylor received his Bachelor of Commerce and M.B.A. in Business and Financial Management from Concordia University. "
http://people.equilar.com/bio/brian-taylor-horizon-lines/salary/86477#.Ub9T2Ngxr4k
Wow he has spent his lifetime in the industry, that is great! I'm kind of hoping his plan for Jacksonville does depend on or even consist of dredging because I think they have better projects to put their resources to.