PALMETTO, Florida – Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher has been elected chairman of the Manatee County Port Authority.
Satcher, who had been the port board’s first vice chairman, was unanimously elected chairman yesterday [Tuesday, Sept. 12] during a special meeting of the Manatee County Port Authority held during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners.
In related moves, Manatee County Commissioner Jason Bearden has been elevated to first vice chairman from second vice chairman; Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn has risen to second vice chairman from third vice chairman; and Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard has been unanimously elected third vice chairwoman.
“I am looking forward to leading the Manatee County Port Authority board and working with the seaport staff to further advance the role of SeaPort Manatee as a primary economic engine for our great county,” Satcher said.
The Manatee County Port Authority board consists of the seven members of the elected Manatee County Commission, but with distinctively separate officers and financial accountability. The authority sets policy and oversees major expenditures for SeaPort Manatee.
Members of the port authority board serve staggered four-year terms, with annual election of officers.
Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” SeaPort Manatee is a dynamic global trade hub, serving as the vibrant ships-to-shelves gateway for burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets, with convenient rail and roadway links, including to the distribution-center-filled Tampa/Orlando Interstate 4 corridor. The closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, proficiently fulfilling diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates more than $5.1 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 37,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without benefit of local property tax support.
