The Dredging Contractors of America welcomes Chris Connor as the new President and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). Mr. Connor began leading the AAPA last month, and he has not wasted anytime filling key positions. Mr. Connor is the former Global CEO of Wallenius Wilhemsen Logistics (WWL). He also served in executive and leadership roles with Unites States Lines and Crowley Maritime Corporation, and is a board member of The Pasha Group.
Supporting the new direction of AAPA, William P. Doyle, CEO and Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America said: “Chris is going to do a great job. I have worked with him and know the AAPA will benefit from his strong lean-forward leadership.”
This week Mr. Connor announced some new appointments as follows:
Cary Davis will serve as the Director of Government Relations/General Counsel. Mr. Davis is a legal scholar, and he specializes in federal policy, transportation, infrastructure, trade, and security. He has represented Global 500 companies while in private practice. Most recently, he was an executive at American Continental managing clients such as ocean carrier giant CMA CGM and global leading logistics, transportation and distribution company NFI Industries. There, he navigated trade policy and tariffs, supply chain security, and import/export regulation.
Cary also served as a senior appointee at the International Trade Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Prior to that, he served as Legislative Director and General Counsel for Congressman Dan Donovan (NY). He received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Masters in Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government.
Also, joining AAPA as Director of Government Relations is Evan Chapman. Evan has nearly a decade of experience crafting policy, advising lawmakers, and effectively advocating for policy change, working first as a Legislative Assistant in the office of Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA) and most recently as a Senior Associate with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ flood-prepared communities’ program. He has experience with the AAPA subject matter, working on policy issues, federal budgets, and funding of infrastructure projects that benefits the maritime industry. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Communications from Emerson College and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University.
Rounding out the AAPA GR team are Jim Walker, Director of Navigation Policy and Legislation, and Alexis Brooks, Government Relations Facilitator. Jim is a vital member of the AAPA team and a subject matter expert when it comes to the intricacies of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. Alexis supports AAPA headquarters through coordinating the multitude of ongoing interdepartmental activities, but her primary focus is the Government Relations Team and scheduling with key contacts on Capitol Hill.
Let’s all welcome Chris Connor and his team!
