Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) board chairman Gerard H. Sweeney hosted the inaugural meeting of the Port of Philadelphia Advisory Committee at PRPA’s headquarters earlier this month.

The committee, established by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in December 2015, will advise the board and staff of PRPA on relevant port issues.

Comprised of business, labor, and government officials selected by the governor, the advisory committee was formed to provide a forum to ensure an ongoing dialogue between PRPA and its stakeholders.  Agenda items for the committee’s quarterly meetings will include port strategic and real estate planning, maritime industry conditions, port infrastructure requirements, and the optimization of market opportunities.

Eleven of the 14 appointees to the committee attended the initial meeting, which included an overview of the port, a report on the port’s 2015 cargo statistics, updates on the 45-foot channel-deepening and Southport projects, a PRPA financial report, an update on PRPA’s search for a new CEO, the ongoing study of the port by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation, and, an overview of PRPA’s procurement and diversity programs.

Presentations were made by Chairman Sweeney and nine PRPA staff members over the course of the afternoon meeting.

Chairman Sweeney was pleased with the results of the first meeting.  “As this first meeting was heavy on orientation, we threw a lot of information at the committee members,” he said.  “But they were eager to participate and are already providing solid feedback.”

“The continuing success of the Port of Philadelphia as Pennsylvania’s international seaport largely depends on strengthening the working relationships we have with business, labor, and our locally elected officials,” said Governor Wolf Upon announcing his committee appointments in December 2015.  “I believe by establishing this advisory committee, we are formalizing these bonds, and tapping into a variety of valuable resources for the challenges ahead.”