Marine Log - November 2007 - (Page 74) INTERVIEW ICE CLASS T ABN K H I R L S Y D E L V A L L E YSERE Horizon Lines’ Director of East Coast and Gulf Terminal Operations, Tamara (Tami) Porter, was recently named a 2007 Women of Influence Honoree by the Jacksonville Business Journal Award Program. Porter has earned great success in what is commonly considered a nontraditional role for women, port operations. So, what was it about the marine industry that piqued Ms. Porter’s interest and how does a woman succeed in a predominately male field? Here’s what she had to say. QA & with Tami Porter Operations for the East Coast and Gulf l. I am responsible for vessel operations for 190 ship arrivals and oversee shipments primarily to Puerto Rico. ML: What is a day in your life like? TP: My day is varied and can change direction based on circumstances which certainly helps to keeps things interesting! I oversee an annual $60 million operations budget and work closely with Horizon’s EDGE initiative, a process evaluation program that has increased efficiency and reduced costs. My days can consist of conference calls, planning meetings with my teams, vendors, governmental and industry agencies, and customers. Ultimately, I am accountable for service excellence and cost control for the East Coast and Gulf. Fortunately, my team consistently performs well in providing service reliability and schedule integrity, which are both critical in our industry. ML: Did you ever feel "odd" working in a predominately male field? ML: What got you interested in the marine business? TP: I have always been intrigued by International trade and business. Shortly after graduating college, I worked for an auto transport company whose primary customer base was import automobiles. This side of the business further sparked my interest in transportation and logistics. After leaving that company (opting not to relocate due to a terminal closing), I went to work in the banking and financial world for a few years. I missed the fast pace of transportation and looked for opportunities back in the industry. Sea Land Service had a strong reputation as being an excellent company to work for and was a big player in international shipping. I was offered an entry level position there that led to a promotion into management approximately a year after joining the company. I had the opportunity of learning terminal and marine operations through various management positions. I have stowed ships, managed stevedoring operations, conducted transportation and freight management, and was the Operations Manager for Sea-Land Service at the time that Sea Land’s international business was sold to the AP Moller Group in 1999. It was at that time, I was presented with the opportunity to be the Terminal Manager for CSX Lines, which was the domestic company retained by CSX Corporation. CSX Lines was sold in 2003 and was renamed Horizon Lines. My level of responsibility continually increased to regional management where I was accountable for Jacksonville, Houston, and New Orleans. Today, I am the Director of Terminal Subscribe T o: Visit: www.marinelog.com/ docs/register.html • Requesting a new subscription • Renewing an existing subscription • Address Changes Or Call: 1-800-895-4389 74 MARINE LOG NOVEMBER 2007 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com/docs/register.html http://www.marinelog.com
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