{"id":3810,"date":"2022-06-07T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/?p=3810"},"modified":"2022-06-13T08:44:03","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T13:44:03","slug":"professional-development-learning-to-be-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/07\/professional-development-learning-to-be-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Development Learning to Be Better"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"htmlBody article_div\">\n<div class=\"roofHeader\">Feature<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline\">By <span class=\"author-name\">Lori Musser<\/span><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/aapw01.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/06\/020.jpg\" alt=\"learning to be better\" \/><figcaption><span class=\"attribution\">YEAMAKE\/<a href=\"http:\/\/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM\">SHUTTERSTOCK.COM<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"dropCap\"><strong>W<\/strong><\/span>here there\u2019s a will, there\u2019s a way. In past generations, port managers were typically certified in a functional area, such as accounting or engineering or marketing, and then learned the idiosyncrasies of ports on the job. Professionals looking for a chance to broaden their seaport acumen, advance their careers and even shape the future of port leadership had few options. That has changed.<\/p>\n<h2>Leadership Is Common Denominator in AAPA\u2019S PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Program<\/h2>\n<p>One important professional development opportunity is the American Association of Port Authorities Professional Port Manager Program, or PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. Established in 1995, this educational and training initiative recognized the absence of a comprehensive seaport management certification in the Americas, and was created to help advance professional careers in public port management.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Noel Hacegaba, PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, is chairman of the AAPA Professional Development Board and deputy port director of the Port of Long Beach. He said, &#8220;The main goal of the PPM program is to prepare the next generation of port executives by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and competencies they will need to lead a port authority.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sidebar shortSidebar\"><em>As part of his work in the PPM program, <strong>Noel Hacegaba, PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong>, authored a white paper, &#8220;Big Ships, Big Challenges: The Impact of Mega Container Vessels on US Port Authorities,&#8221; which was published by AAPA and widely distributed as a reference resource within the port authority sector and the broader goods movement industry. The AAPA maintains a library of such capstone projects.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Shannon McLeod, senior director of member services at AAPA, said that the PPM program provides a rigorous, meaningful experience, enabling candidates to build an essential industry-peer network, gain practical experience and strengthen professional credentials.<\/p>\n<p>Port professionals seek additional education and certification for a variety of reasons. It isn\u2019t uncommon, according to McLeod, for experienced port departmental managers to be &#8220;siloed.&#8221; For example, some managers who have been in the industry for years won\u2019t know the meaning of common port acronyms from other functional areas. A port finance manager may not have been exposed to eRTGs (electric rubber-tired gantries), and a security manager may be unaware of the necessity of BCAs (projectbased benefit-cost analyses). Or, instead of being siloed within their departments, professionals may be siloed geographically, or by business type.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, the PPM program attracted veteran port managers who demonstrated the potential to grow into executive level roles. &#8220;Today, the program also attracts port executives who may be new in their role or to the port authority space, as well as other executives who are in the port industry but who do not necessarily work for a port authority today,&#8221; Hacegaba said. &#8220;The common denominator is leadership.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Having a mix of individuals with demonstrated leadership potential from every functional area of a port authority strengthens the overall learning experience of the program, said Hacegaba.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sidebar shortSidebar\"><em><strong>Michael Vanderbeek, PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong>, is maritime and coastal planning lead in North America for GHD. He said, &#8220;Participating in the PPM program, both as a candidate and now as a member of AAPA\u2019s Professional Development Board, has been one of the defining experiences of my career in the port and maritime industry.&#8221; He said that, as a young professional, the program improved his understanding of port operations, from finance to security to capital planning. &#8220;I also had the opportunity as a PPM candidate to complete a residency at the Chinese ports of Qingdao and Ningbo.&#8221; The trans-Pacific residency experience in turn led to new professional opportunities, including a faculty position at the University of Southern California that allowed him to lead a studyabroad program in Ningbo. &#8220;The most important and enduring benefit of my PPM experience, though, has been the enduring friendships that I was able to develop with my cohort of fellow candidates,&#8221; Vanderbeek said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Important benefits of the PPM program are that candidates gain a holistic understanding of a port authority in significantly less time than by simply working at a port authority, and that the program helps ensure a consistent pipeline of talent to lead ports in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Cathie Vick, PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, is chief development and public affairs officer for The Port of Virginia and serves on the curriculum committee of the PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, where she aims to build on the learning track to engage more and make it more experiential. She said, &#8220;The two main benefits of the PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> for me both relate to perspective. One was learning different aspects of the port [through the required classes].&#8221; Individuals tend to be interested in the seminars within their wheelhouse. &#8220;It forces you out of your comfort zone, which [ultimately]helps you communicate better with other people within your organization,&#8221; she said. Another benefit was the rapport built with classmates. Even now, &#8220;With a network around the country you can call them and lean on them and connect with people in their organizations,&#8221; Vick said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sidebar shortSidebar\"><em><strong>Cathie Vick\u2019s PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong> capstone project was on capital prioritization. Three to four years later, the project has confirmed its value. In an era where the needs are many and the dollars are few, being able to prioritize projects helps a port compete for the various new funding streams. Her project has helped The Port of Virginia &#8220;dig into the master plan and prioritize projects, while taking the politics out of it.&#8221; The port came up with a scoring mechanism, with weighted criteria that are adjustable. &#8220;It feeds into our asset management plan, facility upgrades, capital equipment expenditures. Anyone in the organization can put a project into the portal. It gets scored, and [the system]racks and stacks the projects. A steering committee aligns the projects with potential funding streams, and then we proceed with annual capital budgeting,&#8221; said Vick.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>She noted that the introduction of discipline into the capital prioritization has helped the port position $1.3 billion in funding from state and federal government sources in the last five years. For Vick, the PPM was not about leveraging her career, it was about driving better port decision-making.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;The PPM program is about $10,000 per person, which includes two to three classes per year, membership on AAPA committees, access to port executives and managers throughout the country, and an unparalleled understanding of port operations, administration and management,&#8221; said McLeod.<\/p>\n<p>The PPM program has been reshaped and retooled over the years, delivering flexibility, injecting academic rigor and aligning content to current needs. With the full and dedicated support of AAPA leadership and the Professional Development Board, &#8220;We are on an ongoing quest to ensure that the PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> remains the flagship certification program across the port industry,&#8221; said Hacegaba.<\/p>\n<p>Held over a two- to four-year term, PPM candidates have traditionally attended seminars in-person. Recent changes \u2013 in part inspired by pandemic restrictions and technological advancements \u2013 allow candidates to complete the program with a combination of online and in-person classes. Candidates are now able to mix and match coursework offered by AAPA and its other partners including LAMAR University and the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives, or IAMPE.<\/p>\n<h2>IAMPE Helping Optimize PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/h2>\n<p>Captain Jeff Monroe is director of education for IAMPE. He described the association\u2019s educational offerings, which include the accredited Maritime Port Executive program (an intensive seminar that covers all aspects of port management), the Marine Terminal Operator program, and various continuing education programs.<\/p>\n<p>IAMPE has more than 2,500 alumni and its participants are eligible for academic credit from five U.S. colleges, as well as the Australian Maritime College.<\/p>\n<p>The AAPA-IAMPE collaboration on the PPM program is a natural fit, according to Monroe. IAMPE is offering the intensive week-long base programs, with AAPA providing the ongoing educational seminars. &#8220;We follow a specific curriculum and course of study. The 40-hour program is broken into 24 separate modules,&#8221; said Monroe.<\/p>\n<p>IAMPE does not maintain a campus. Its programs travel to the region where needed.<\/p>\n<p>Monroe said that IAMPE\u2019s goals include minimizing the cost of its certifications and time invested while maximizing value to all port staff. &#8220;We provide a wide scope of information, put into context, for practical application. It is not just academic. It covers every element of port management and is a very progressive program,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Monroe underscored the value of the new comprehensive and dynamic port educational programs and certifications. However, he said there is always room for improvement. For example, someday he would like to see a single standard of progressive certification by career level \u2013 certification for entry-level port positions, for managers, for senior managers, and for port directors.<\/p>\n<h2>Pursuing a Master\u2019s in Port and Terminal Management<\/h2>\n<p>AAPA has a Memorandum of Understanding with Lamar University, established to inject academic rigor into the PPM program. It has also created an opportunity for PPM candidates to earn credits toward a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n<p>Lamar University offers the only master\u2019s degree in port and terminal management in the United States. It is a two-year, online degree.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Hacegaba said, &#8220;the partnership with Lamar University has helped us to realign the PPM program to make it more flexible for candidates and more valuable for the port authorities they serve.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sidebar shortSidebar\"><em><strong>Ronald Coddington<\/strong> is port engineer with the Port of Palm Beach. He said, &#8220;I\u2019ve been in ports since 1979 and Lamar added to my knowledge base. It is a challenging MS. The program is very powerful. The continuity of professors and the fact that it is online is especially valuable. I created long-term relationships there.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Erik Stromberg is executive director of the Center for Port Management at Lamar University. He said the master\u2019s degree is a niche program, developed from a practitioner\u2019s perspective: &#8220;Ports and terminal professionals need specific acumen and that is what this degree seeks to convey. The program addresses the complexities and subtleties of a dynamic industry.&#8221; He noted that academic faculty are complemented by industry experts.<\/p>\n<p>The master\u2019s degree is valuable for seaport professionals looking for more knowledge across departments and disciplines. Good candidates for the degree typically have some industry knowledge, and, Stromberg said, often include up-and-coming young professionals in port and terminal management.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sidebar shortSidebar\"><em><strong>Sean Fairchild<\/strong> is director of maritime operations at the Port of Stockton and earned his master\u2019s in port and terminal management from Lamar. With a background in international development and consulting, he said he chose the degree to align his academic credentials with his practical, professional experience. He said there is a need for continuing education in the increasingly sophisticated world of ports. &#8220;The internal demands on staff require greater abilities than perhaps were required in the past,&#8221; he said, citing technological advancements that impact everything from terminal operations to data sharing. &#8220;Education is the key to continuing port improvement. Eventually market share is going to go elsewhere if we don\u2019t improve,&#8221; Fairchild said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>One benefit that both the PPM<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> and the master\u2019s program share, according to Stromberg, is the camaraderie and bonding of candidates as they go through the programs: &#8220;It is wonderful to see and hear about the relationships that develop and endure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The cost of the master\u2019s is approximately $14,000, and some scholarships are available.<\/p>\n<p>Lamar University is able to grant up to nine credit hours, on a competency-based system, to PPM graduates. In a next step, there is potential for those with a master\u2019s from Lamar University to gain credits toward the PPM certification.<\/p>\n<h2>The Path Forward<\/h2>\n<p>Programs like those offered by AAPA, IAMPE and Lamar University help build the foundation for future port leaders to understand all aspects of port management.<\/p>\n<p>The recent supply chain crisis has spotlighted the need to understand the big picture. &#8220;Supply chain solutions require a partnership of ports, every type of carrier, a diversity of experts, and leaders with a comprehensive knowledge of how the pieces fit together \u2013 and how to connect them so they remain essential, resilient and united,&#8221; McLeod said.<\/p>\n<p>That means that the need to invest in our future leaders is more important than ever. McLeod said, &#8220;AAPA\u2019s theme this year, \u2018Now We Build,\u2019 is not just about new wharves, cranes or buildings. It is about employees and the future leadership of America\u2019s ports.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where there\u2019s a will, there\u2019s a way. In past generations, port professionals looking for a chance to broaden their seaport acumen, advance their careers and shape the future of port leadership had few options. That has changed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":3812,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435,4],"tags":[89,1153,616,1165,136,887,1166,889,1176,506,1174,331,1175,1169,640,1173,1177,1172,63,577,179,354,639,472,1168,87,1041,1170,1076,1167,158,157,45,1171,711],"class_list":["post-3810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-features","category-features","tag-aapa","tag-aapa-ppm","tag-aapa-seaports","tag-captain-jeff-monroe","tag-cathie-vick","tag-erik-stromberg","tag-iampe","tag-lamar-university","tag-learning-port-management","tag-maritime-education","tag-master-of-science-port-management","tag-noel-hacegaba","tag-port-college-degree","tag-port-degree","tag-port-education","tag-port-educational-pathways","tag-port-employees","tag-port-learning","tag-port-of-long-beach","tag-port-of-palm-beach","tag-port-of-stockton","tag-port-of-virginia","tag-port-training","tag-port-workforce","tag-port-workforce-development","tag-ports","tag-ports-united","tag-professional-port-education","tag-ronald-coddington","tag-sean-fairchild","tag-seaports","tag-seaports-magazine","tag-shannon-mcleod","tag-terminal-operator-education","tag-western-hemisphere-ports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}