Leadership Change at Jacksonville Port Authority

After 13 years on the job, Rick Ferrin resigned as executive director of the Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) and Chris Kauffman, a management executive with Jaxport, has been named interim director while a national search has begun for a new director.

For more than a year, Rick and I have been discussing the substantial challenges, opportunities and obstacles that face the port in a new and quickly changing era in the shipping industry, said David Kulick, board chairman of Jaxport. Jaxport has grown and changed dramatically in the past decade under Ricks leadership. This natural evolution creates a need, periodically, for new skills and a change in managements focus in order to achieve our long-term goals. Consistent with these discussions, Rick has agreed to step aside and accept a new role at the port.

During this transition period, it is vitally important that all of our customers, employees and constituents continue to see that the board of directors and senior management are closely linked and sharply focused to ensure the continuity of the great effort exercised over the past decade of growth, added Kulick. I am confident that I speak for the entire port community when I thank Rick for his many contributions over the past 13 years. I have confidence in Chris and the Jaxport team to lead the port through this period and into its next stages of success.

While Ferrin has had some successes, there have been some internal issues at Jaxport recently with purchasing. Kulick insisted Ferrin was not let go due to legal matters involving Tony Nelson, who served on the board of Jaxport.

Despite the best efforts of port advocates in the Legislature, led by Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville, and Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, Floridas ports have some catching up to deepen their harbors -- something they will need to be done if they want to compete for Asian vessels that will be able to move through the Panama Canal after its current expansion is complete in 2014. This will be a major issue for whoever winds up as Jaxports new executive director.