City Manager Appoints New Airport Director
Cynthia Guidry, who most recently served as deputy executive director of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), was today announced as the new director of the Long Beach Airport. Guidry has 26 years of leadership experience in local governments, and 14 years of experience in airport management, according to a city press release. In her role at LAWA, in which she served for five years, Guidry oversaw multi-billion-dollar capital improvement projects and 400 employees in the environmental, planning, engineering and facility management divisions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s in business administration from Pepperdine University. She is also a licensed professional engineer. “We are excited to welcome Cynthia Guidry to Long Beach Airport,” City Manager Pat West stated. “Ms. Guidry has a wealth of expertise, having served in an airport management capacity at one of the world’s largest airports. As an airport professional and a Long Beach resident, she understands our community, our customers and how unique Long Beach Airport truly is.”

May Container Traffic Increases At Port Of L.A., Decreases At Port Of Long Beach
The Port of Los Angeles announced today that it closed out the busiest May for container traffic in its history, moving 828,662 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo, a 7.8% increase compared to last May. Compared to a year ago, imports increased 5.5%, exports decreased 0.8%, and the shipment of empty containers increased 20%, the bulk of the volume growth. During the first five months of the year, overall cargo volumes have increased 5.2%, according to the announcement. The port’s executive director, Gene Seroka, stated that he was “extremely pleased” with the news. Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach (POLB) posted a decrease in container traffic in May compared to the same month in 2018. According to a press release sent out today, container volumes decreased 16.6%. Imports decreased 19.5%, exports were down 15.3% and empty container shipment decreased 11.7%. “One year into the trade war, escalating tariffs have pushed retailers to order goods early, warehouses are brimming with inventory as a result, and in response, ocean carriers are managing their vessels to deal with reduced demand,” POLB Executive Director Mario Cordero commented. “We are hopeful Washington and Beijing can resolve their differences before we see long-term changes to the supply chain that impact jobs in both nations.”

Port Of Long Beach Named Conservator Of The Year By Bolsa Chica Conservancy
The Port of Long Beach has been named as the 2019 Conservator of the Year by the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. The port was selected because of its leadership in and commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and protecting wildlife and the environment, according to a statement from the conservancy. The award is being presented at the nonprofit’s annual ball on Saturday, June 22, at the Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. “The Port of Long Beach has a long, historic connection to the Bolsa Chica wetlands, investing funds to restore tidal flow, creating one of the most successful wetlands restoration projects in the state of California,” Grace Adams, Bolsa Chica Conservancy executive director, stated. “The Bolsa Chica Conservancy recognizes the Port’s leadership and significant contributions to conserve wildlife, air, water, soils, the community and overall sustainability.”

New Children’s Outpatient Center Receives Major Gift From Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation
In a press release, the Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Foundation announced the receipt of its largest contribution so far. The donor, the Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation, requested the size of the donation to the hospital’s planned outpatient Children’s Village remain undisclosed. The press release, however, noted that it is the lead gift of a $60 million campaign, launched in August 2018, to fund the construction of an 80,000 square foot four-story outpatient clinic specialized in pediatric care. It also noted that the donation constituted the largest gift by the Laulhere foundation to date. “The Children’s Village has been a decades-long dream for Miller Children’s & Women’s, so to have the support of the Laulhere family to not only realize our dream but sustain it for generations of children to come is incredible,” the hospital’s CEO, John Bishop, said. The Children’s Village, which is scheduled for completion in 2021, will be named in honor of Cherese Mari Laulhere. Laulhere was born at the hospital in 1974, and died unexpectedly in a bus accident during a humanitarian trip to India at the age of 21. “Our family generously donated to the Children’s Village in memory of Cherese’s hopes and dreams of helping children,” Cherese’s mother, Chris Laulhere, said. “She was always very grateful for her family and friends, had so much compassion for others and had a very loving heart.”