Freight News, People, Sea

Massport Names Gleason Port Director

[ September 20, 2024   //   Gary G Burrows ]

The Massachusetts Port Authority, or Massport, said Lauren Gleason has been appointed port director, overseeing all maritime business areas.
Gleason, who has been at Massport since 2017, has served as interim port director, chief administrative officer and deputy port director of business development during her tenure.
“Lauren has been a steadfast champion for the port, showcasing her valuable expertise in the many areas of our maritime operations,” said Massport CEO Rich Davey.
Gleason began her career in supply chain and transportation at Hanjin Shipping, spending nearly six years at New England Sales Manager, responsible for all sales, strategic initiatives and operations for New England and Eastern Canada-based importers and exporters. Her role also included increasing the footprint and market share for Hanjin in the Northeast as well as facilitating peak season planning meetings on behalf of Hanjin’s customers throughout Asia.
Prior to joining Massport, she worked at Wayfair, building the foundation and groundwork for its international supply chain program.

Conley Terminals

Gleason will lead all business planning and development, strategic initiatives, financial management, and the safety and security and day-to-day oversight of Massport’s maritime division. This has included developing and implementing the maritime business strategy for Conley Container Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport Boston.
Conley Terminal, which serves more than 2,500 businesses throughout Massachusetts and New England to ship and receive products globally, has been essential in growing the footprint for New England’s only full-service container terminal, solidifying the port’s role as an economic engine for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the New England region.
Investments in the Conley Terminal modernization project included:

• The Butler Freight Corridor, a dedicated truck route to keep container trucks off residential roadways and allow trucks to access the highway system in minutes.
• Two 50-foot-deep berths to accommodate larger ships.
• Three new fully electric ship-to-shore cranes, commissioned in the fall of 2021, service vessels with capacities of 12,000-14,000 20-foot equivalent units.
• The Boston Harbor Deepening project, a multiyear, multiphase partnership between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Massport, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed in June 2022 to deepen the main ship channel and the reserved channel to 47 feet and the outer harbor to 51 feet.
• Other terminal improvements, including hybrid retrofits for rubber-tire gantry cranes, expanded container storage, and new refrigerated container storage.
  These projects have resulted in expanding the Conley Terminal’s global direct connectivity from seven ports to 40 ports weekly and growing the business by 18 percent over the past 12 months and 84 percent over the past 24 months.
  Flynn Cruiseport’s business has expanded to become a nine-month season, and through a collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line, the Cruiseport will welcome its largest homeport ship to Boston in 2026, the 4,500 passenger Norwegian Breakaway.
  The cruise port supports US$135.5 million in annual economic impact, including US$40 million in federal, state, and local tax revenue, according to the 2018 Economic Impact Report by Martin Associates. Overall, the Port of Boston generates US$8.2 billion in annual economic development.
  Massport also hosts a cluster of seafood processing companies across the South Boston waterfront, one of four major U.S. hubs. In Boston, these businesses are strategically located near both Logan International Airport and Conley Terminal, accessing global markets with the convenience of direct connectivity.
  Gleason serves on the boards of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts International Business Council and The Propeller Club of the Port of Boston. She also co-leads Massport’s Female Employee Resource Group and is also involved with the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade, Cruise Canada New England Association, American Association of Port Authorities, The Women’s Edge Leadership Program, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Program.

Tags: Massport