HOUSTON, Sept. 15, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- By a unanimous vote, the Harris County Commissioners Court re-appointed Jim Fonteno to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) for another two years. He initially joined the PHA commission in January 1999. Port Commissioners are appointed biannually and serve without pay.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://media.globenewswire.com/poha/pages/exec.html
"Commissioner Fonteno is a respected member of the Commission and we welcome his return," said PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds. "He brings a wealth of international experience, business savvy and vision to the boardroom."
Fonteno says he has valued his time as a PHA Commissioner and appreciates the opportunity to continue his public service.
"I am honored by the faith and trust that Harris County Commissioners Court has again placed in me," Fonteno said. "The Port of Houston is the critical economic engine for our community and exemplifies successful public-private partnership. As the PHA begins a new era of management leadership, I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners in providing sound governance and policy guidance to ensure the continued growth and success of port operations."
"I congratulate Jim on his unanimous reappointment as port commissioner for the Port of Houston Authority," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "Jim has been a strong and experienced voice for residents of Harris County for 10 years now, and his experience will serve the port well as it faces increasing challenges over the coming years."
"Commissioner Fonteno's experience and knowledge make him an ideal Port Commissioner," said Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia. "He understands the needs of the Port of Houston not only as an international trading partner but as a partner to the neighboring businesses and residents who share our community."
Fonteno is an attorney and investment banker with a broad professional background in finance, real estate, environmental policy and international business. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Southern California, a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a law degree from Georgetown University.
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, there are more than 8,000 vessel calls at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall total tonnage. The port authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. The second recertification of those facilities in 2009 included an extension for the state-of-the-art Bayport Container Terminal. PHA is the first port authority in the world to receive ISO 28000:2007 certification for Port Police and the perimeter security operations at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
To access the port's Web site photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.
The Port of Houston Authority logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=720
