Long Beach Harbor Commission elects board officers for 2024-25

Bonnie Lowenthal and Frank Colonna will serve as president and vice president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners for the 2024-25 fiscal year, officials announced Tuesday.

The five-member board voted Monday to elect Lowenthal and Colonna to their respective roles, as well as member Steven Neal to serve as secretary. Outgoing commission president Bobby Olvera Jr. will hand over the gavel to Lowenthal at the board's meeting on Aug. 5.

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"It is an honor to be elected and serve as president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission," Lowenthal said in a statement. "I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners as we build a port to better serve the residents of Southern California in the decades to come and continue to pursue our trailblazing environmental programs, innovative capital improvements and our ongoing investment in workforce development."

Lowenthal previously served as president of the board from 2019-20, and currently serves as the vice president. She has spent decades in government -- as a Long Beach Unified School District Board member, a Long Beach City Council member, vice mayor and a state Assembly member.

She has also worked as a licensed family counselor and mental health consultant.

Each July, commissioners select a president and two board officers to serve one-year terms.

Under the City Charter, the board sets policy for the Port of Long Beach and directs the port's CEO, who leads about 550 employees in developing and promoting harbor activities. Members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by Long Beach City Council. Commissioners may serve up to two six- year terms.

The Port of Long Beach handles trade valued at $200 billion annually and helps support 2.6 million jobs across the country, including 575,000 in Southern California.

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