Briefs

Olvera Elected Harbor Commission President

Lowenthal chosen as Vice President, both to serve one-year terms

Harbor Commission Vice President Bobby Olvera Jr. was elected July 24 as president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, the five-member panel that oversees the Port of Long Beach.

The board also selected Bonnie Lowenthal as vice president and Frank Colonna as secretary. Each July, commissioners select a president and two board officers for one-year terms. The commission’s new officers will begin their terms at the next regularly scheduled meeting, Aug. 14, when outgoing president Sharon L. Weissman will hand the gavel to Olvera.

Harbor Commission Vice President Bonnie Lowenthal

Olvera is a fifth-generation longshoreman and serves as international vice president (Mainland) of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. He began his 30-year history with the ILWU in 1989 and has held numerous leadership roles, including three terms as president of Local 13. In 1991, Olvera took a leave of absence to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition, Olvera has served on the boards of the Miguel Contreras Advocacy Foundation and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Labor Community Services. He is also a former member of the Long Beach Economic Development Commission. Appointed to the Harbor Commission in 2020, Olvera was elected as Vice President of the Board in July 2022.

“It’s an honor to be chosen as president by my colleagues,” said Olvera. “We are at a critical juncture in our Port’s history as we accelerate our progress toward zero emissions. I look forward to collaborating with fellow Commissioners, CEO Mario Cordero, staff and all of our industry partners to build a more efficient, sustainable and equitable port.”

Under the City Charter, the Board sets policy for the port and directs the port’s CEO, who leads about 530 employees in developing and promoting the Port of Long Beach.

Reporters Desk

Recent Posts

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures: Yes on 50

Gerrymandering is the bane — well, one of the banes — of our so-called democracy.…

11 hours ago

Padilla, Democrats Call on State Department to Restore Gaza Humanitarian and Medical Visas

The Senators requested a full explanation of the circumstances leading to this abrupt decision to…

12 hours ago

San Pedro City Ballet, Arts United Invite Community to Mural Unveiling Oct. 5

Misty Copeland said of the mural: “I’m incredibly honored to be featured in this stunning…

13 hours ago

Port of Long Beach Names Chief Harbor Engineer

LONG BEACH—The Port of Long Beach has named Monique Lebrun as senior director of the…

1 day ago

Unified Command Completes Salvage Operations for Pier G Container Incident

LONG BEACH — The unified command announces all 95 containers that fell overboard from the…

2 days ago

Western Avenue Work Begins Monday – Expect Delays

The LA County Sanitation Districts started work Sept 29 on a drilling project on Western…

2 days ago