The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified candidates for
CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades

Bordering Southeast Florida’s Atlantic coastline, Broward County is the seventeenth most populous county in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. Home to over 1.9 million people, Broward County is located between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, forming the center of South Florida’s largest metropolitan area in which 6.1 million people reside. Within the County’s approximate 1,200 square miles are 31 municipalities, the largest of which is the county seat, Fort Lauderdale. About two-thirds of Broward County is part of the undeveloped Everglades conservation area. Broward County boasts 23 miles of pristine Atlantic coastline, and its beaches attract both the local population as well as tourists from around the world. With an average year-round temperature of 76 degrees, Broward County has a tropical climate and is a choice destination for over nineteen million visitors every year.

Broward County’s warm climate, demographic diversity, robust and expanding economy, top-rated schools, colleges and universities, cutting-edge healthcare, and an advanced transportation system afford its residents an exceptional quality of life. Broward offers world-class dining, high-quality theater, cosmopolitan nightlife, and premium shopping venues, as well as an abundance of recreational activities such as golf, pickleball, soccer, deep-sea fishing, boating and vast opportunities for fun on the beach. 

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is in Broward County and is less than two miles from Port Everglades where most major cruise lines use as a homeport. Among Broward County’s abundant retail shopping options is Sawgrass Mills, the largest one-story value retail shopping mall in the United States. For the sports enthusiast, Broward County is home to the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers, while the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat, the Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, and the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins are just a short drive or quick train ride away.

The Broward County government was established under Charter in 1975 as a home-rule government. The County has a Council/Manager form of government. The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is composed of nine members, elected every two years for four-year staggered terms. Commissioners are voted to the position by their district constituents through partisan elections. The Mayor and Vice-Mayor are Commission members annually elected by the Commission for one-year terms. The Commission appoints the County Administrator, the County Attorney, and the County Auditor.

The County Administrator serves as the Chief Executive Officer and manages the County’s seven major operating departments: Aviation, Resilient Environment, Finance and Administrative Services, Human Services, Port Everglades, Public Works, and Transportation; eight offices and three divisions, which all together comprise over 70 lines of business. The County has nearly 7,000 employees and eight organized bargaining units. The County budget for FY24 is $8.69 billion of which $4.7 billion is Operating, $3.18 billion is Capital and $0.81 billion is Debt Service. The budget reflects strategic investments in transit, the seaport and airport, and many other critical services to residents.

Business diversity and a strong commitment to customer service distinguishes the Port Everglades Department. It is a leading container port in Florida and among the most active cargo ports nationally. Port Everglades is also South Florida’s main seaport for receiving energy products, including gasoline and jet fuel. Port customers benefit from direct highway access, an international airport within two miles, state-of-the-art Foreign-Trade Zone warehousing and a 43-acre international and domestic intermodal container transfer facility that makes it possible for cargo shipped to Port Everglades to reach Atlanta and Charlotte within two days and 70 percent of the U.S. population in four days.

An epicenter for international trade, the Port is positioned in one of the world’s largest consumer regions, including a combined 60 million residents and seasonal visitors within an 80-mile radius. In fact, Port Everglades is one of the top U.S. gateways for trade with Latin America, moving 13 percent of all U.S./Latin American trade. Located in the cities of Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Port Everglades is the number three cruise homeport in the world; the number one container port for perishables in the state of Florida and a top-10 port in the U.S. for Foreign-Trade Zone exports. 

The Port is a self-supporting enterprise fund of Broward County government. It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations or capital improvements. The total value of economic activity at Port Everglades is more than $33 billion annually and supports over 9,500 direct local jobs and nearly 216,600 statewide jobs. The Port’s total (unaudited) operating revenue for Fiscal Year 2023 was $182.4 million.

The Port’s success is closely tied to its mission, which is to work creatively and competitively to expand the revenue positions of its trade, cruise and energy customers which in turn creates economic social and environmental value for the greater community. In 2023, the Port introduced a new mighty logo and brand that symbolizes its three main business lines of cruise, cargo and energy. The bold trident against a backdrop of waves also captures the Port’s three core values of strength, resilience, and sustainability. The three-pronged branding campaign clearly differentiates the Port’s strengths to global customers from those of Florida’s natural wonder, Everglades National Park. 

The Port is a magnet for new businesses. The Port Everglades International Logistics Center, developed in 2020 through a public-private partnership with CenterPoint Port Everglades LLC, has efficient, contemporary warehousing within two buildings on 16.657 acres of Port property. The entire logistics center is designated as a Foreign-Trade Zone. Additionally, private investors are building two new warehouses just outside the Port’s entrances for similar purposes.

Always striving to modernize its facilities to maximize productivity, the Port follows an aggressive, comprehensive Master/Vision Plan that is updated every two to four years to re-analyze market trends, changes in the cruise, energy and cargo shipping industries, local planning initiatives and evolving technology. This in-depth analysis provides a projective and substantiated market-driven and environmentally sound phased roadmap for guiding cost-feasible capital investments.

For more information on Port Everglades, please visit: PortEverglades.net.  

Broward County is seeking to fill the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Port Director of Port Everglades.  This position assumes the management of all administrative and operational duties of the Port and reports directly to the Broward County Administrator.  This position oversees and directs the activities of subordinate staff as well as the planning, scheduling and coordination of departmental activities.  The development of policies, procedures and priorities in order to meet established County goals is also a primary responsibility.   Equally important, is the oversight of the development, implementation and maintenance of strategic, fiscal and capital improvements for the Port along with the preparation of operating and capital budgets and associated reporting.

The CEO and Port Director is responsible for negotiating agreements with existing and new users of the Port, including Port facilities.  The CEO and Port Director will represent the Port’s interests before local, state and federal agencies and representatives. An additional aspect of the position is the promotion of the Port’s vision on a local level before stakeholders, community groups, service organizations and civic committees. 

The ideal candidate has extensive hands-on experience managing and leading a major deep-water seaport with a highly diversified cruise and business cargo mix and experience with the energy industry, particularly on the transport and storage side of the business. This dynamic role is focused on creating and orchestrating exceptional business opportunities and outcomes for the benefit of the County and the Port’s employees, tenants, stakeholders, and community partners.

The successful candidate is a well-versed business leader with the proven capability to drive organizational alignment, maximize resources, execute short- and long-term goals and provide world-class customer service to a diverse audience.

The position requires that the leader has experience in negotiating contracts, and can quickly adapt to the constantly-evolving and competitive seaport industry.  

The CEO and Port Director must be secure working in a government environment and in a climate of total transparency. The selected candidate will be an expert in overseeing policy, planning, legislative and regulatory affairs, as well as environmental sustainability, performance, and efficiency imperatives. Additionally, the selected candidate will be comfortable partnering with local, state and federal agencies.

The ideal candidate excels in building relationships, finding innovative solutions, and developing existing and emerging markets that fit today’s model while serving as a visionary leader. The CEO and Port Director is an architect and sound advisor in the future development of the Port’s infrastructure and investments. The ideal candidate will lead the charge towards creative and profitable initiatives to attract market share and ensure the Port’s position as an integral part of the economy of which Broward County, the state of Florida, the Unite States, and partner countries can rely on.

The CEO and Port Director should be experienced working with union leadership as many of the employees and some key partners are represented by a union.

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with major course work in public or business administration, international business, transportation administration, or a closely related field is required. A master’s degree in one of these fields is preferred; AND

Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in the senior management of seaports, transportation and/or business management or closely related experience is required.

The annual salary range for this position is $269,725.19 to $430,480.08. The starting salary will be based upon the knowledge and experience of the individual selected. The State of Florida does not have a state income tax. The County’s benefits include:

• Florida Retirement System (FRS) - Employees have the choice of two retirement plans: the traditional pension plan with eight years of vesting or the investment plan with one year of vesting.  
• Deferred Compensation – The County offers a voluntary 457 plan offered through three providers: Mission Square, Brighthouse Financial, and Nationwide Retirement Solutions. As an Executive Team Member, if you elect to participate in a County Deferred Compensation Plan, you are eligible to receive a deferred compensation match from the County up to a maximum of 4% of your annual salary.
• Flexible Spending Accounts – Eligible health expenses and dependent care accounts.
• Health Savings Accounts – When you elect either of the High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) and you and your enrolled spouse/domestic partner (if applicable) complete the County’s 2024 Engagement Incentive, Broward County will contribute to your Health Savings Account.
• Vacation and Sick Leave – Leave is accrued biweekly for vacation and sick time; annualized at two weeks of vacation and 12 days of sick time; additionally, 40 hours of job basis leave is granted annually for employees exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Holidays – Eleven (11) holidays and two (2) personal days.
• Insurance Coverage – The County offers a variety of benefit plans that employees can purchase including Health, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, Long Term Disability, and Pre-paid Legal. The County subsidizes enrollment in Health and provides a waiver credit if applicable. 
• Life Insurance – The County offers $50,000 of group term life insurance.  Employees can purchase additional life insurance for themselves and their dependents and spouse/domestic partner.
• Additional Benefits – Access to Credit Union, Employee Development and Personal Income Protection Plans are available.

For additional information on benefits, please visit: www.broward.org/benefits. 

 Please apply immediately at www.allianceRC.com.

For questions and inquiries, please contact:

David McDonald or Sherrill Uyeda

ALLIANCE RESOURCE CONSULTING LLC

1 Centerpointe Drive, Suite 440

La Palma, CA 90623

Telephone: (562) 901-0769

              E-mail:  dmcdonald@alliancerc.com 

                           suyeda@alliancerc.com