Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Gary Nelson has been selected as chairman of the board for the American Association of Port Authorities.

The organization represents more than 130 ports in the Western Hemisphere and advocates for all the major ports in in the United States, said Nelson Wednesday, as the spring session of the association was wrapping up in Washington, D.C.

“I think it’s a big opportunity for exposure for the community, the Port of Grays Harbor and the State of Washington,” said Nelson of his appointment. “To have a chair from the Northwest is an opportunity to meet on a regular basis with people who are interested in infrastructure and trade and funding programs to enhance them.”

The association considers a wide variety of economic, political and other factors that impact global trade. One session Wednesday focused on the importance of infrastructure on trade. Another looked at tariffs, with a representative from the White House who talked about “the impacts of trade wars on our economy and what the outlook is for resolution in certain areas,” said Nelson.

Nelson described a time when a representative from the Panamanian government spoke about their government’s vision and plan for the Panama Canal and the potential impacts those plans could have on trade. Wednesday, he took the opportunity to speak to a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about coming up with a better management plan for sea lions.

Nelson has been with the Port of Grays Harbor since April of 2000, and has served on the American Association of Port Authorities executive board the past couple of years. He will be installed as chairman on the final day of the association’s annual convention in Norfolk, Virginia, in October.

“The Port of Grays Harbor Commission is extremely proud of Gary’s appointment,” said Port Commission President Stan Pinnick. “Over the last 19 years, we have experienced first-hand the results and benefits of his strong leadership. We are confident he will lead AAPA in 2019-20 just as well as he has served our Port and the community.”

Nelson was chosen unanimously for the one-year term.

“With his valuable experience as a port director involved with diversified cargo, his international trade background, and his longstanding active engagement with AAPA and our member ports throughout the hemisphere, Gary Nelson is an outstanding choice for leading our association during the upcoming activity year,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and chief executive officer. “Gary’s outstanding leadership and business skills, together with his easy-going demeanor, will be of enormous value as our member ports work together to address common challenges and legislative priorities.”