WASHNGTON: The Long Beach Harbor Commission isn’t exactly asking a temporary help agency to find a fill-in person, but the board is expected to appoint an interim CEO of the Port of Long Beach Wednesday.
Duane Kenagy, the port’s capital programs executive, will be the temporary replacement for Jon Slangerup, who announced earlier this month that he is stepping down after two years to become chairman of an aviation-related tech company in Canada. Kenagy has been with the port for two years and has more than 35 years of engineering and design project management experience, domestically and internationally. He is overseeing the replacement of the Gerald Desmond Bridge and the redevelopment of the Middle Harbor Container Terminal.
Although he is being appointed as the interim CEO, he will not be a candidate to replace Slangerup. “He is highly respected by all of the commissioners, very well regarded in our industry and well-liked by the port staff,” commission president Lori Ann Guzman said. “Duane will lead the Port of Long Beach on a steady path forward as the search begins for a permanent chief executive.”
As interim CEO, Kenagy will earn $275,000, according to the port. The commission will meet at 6 p.m. today to approve the appointment. The panel is expected to hire an outside firm to conduct a search for a permanent CEO.
