Raul Alfonso is the Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer of Port Tampa Bay. Since joining the port in 2013 as Chief Commercial Officer, Raul has led the port’s commercial activities, with responsibilities for the areas in Real Estate, Planning, Marketing, Business Development, Communications, Operations, Facilities, Security and Branding. In 2014, Raul was promoted to his current position, as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, assuming additional responsibilities as second in command to the Port’s President and CEO.

Since Alfonso joined the port, commercial activities have enjoyed record performance across its diverse lines of business, with growth in cargo tonnage (including year-after-year, double-digit growth in container cargo), cruise passengers, revenues, and Real Estate activity for new and existing tenants.

Also during this time, Port Tampa Bay has embarked on implementing its visionary Strategic and Master Plans (Port Vision 2030), focusing on achieving the port’s long-term goals, and securing its future, as West Central Florida’s principal economic engine.

Raul has over 35 years of Port industry experience, involving diverse leadership roles that have resulted in commercial and business development successes at the ports of Miami (PORTMIAMI) and Jacksonville (JAXPORT) in Florida, and the ports of Freeport, Bahamas, Balboa and Cristobal in Panamá.

Raul was recently recognized for his leadership and was honored with the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine’s Apogee Award in the category of Chief Business Development Officer.

Raul is a proud graduate of Florida International University, in Miami, FL. He is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Throughout his career, Raul has served as port / maritime and logistics expert, as speaker at numerous domestic and international trade conferences.

Michael Poole joined the Port July of 2024 as the Chief Financial Officer. Poole is a Senior Level Executive with an extensive background as a Chief Financial Officer and a Certified Public Accountant. He has 37 years of professional experience with the last 27 years being in the Maritime industry which has included working with Board of Directors and Executive Management. He has managed Accounting, Finance, Information Technology, and Risk Management functions and led the effort in financing terminal expansion projects through bank and public bond financing.

Poole most recently worked as the Chief Financial Officer for the Canaveral Port Authority. Prior to that, he served in the same position for the Jacksonville Port Authority. Poole’s experience includes management of accounting, finance, treasury, procurement, risk management, contract negotiations, and Information Technology. He is a recognized and well-respected leader in his field and has a depth of knowledge overseeing the budgeting process for seaports, as well as long-term capital improvement plans. Poole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of West Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Government Finance Officer.

As Chief Financial Officer, Poole will be responsible for directing and managing the finance, risk management, and procurement departments as well as guiding the financial strength of Port Tampa Bay’s overall operation. He will oversee the efficient administration of the port’s debt profile and be in charge of the analysis and financial viability of new business opportunities. Additionally, Poole will control Port Tampa Bay’s assets, particularly the management of cash and the collection of funds.

Mr. Washington brings 35 years of experience in the field of information technology and has a diverse background in both corporate and governmental settings, with extensive experience in enterprise computing, telecommunications and implementations.

Mr. Washington received his formal education from Hillsborough Community College, Harold Washington College, and the University of South Florida. He obtained his professional certifications as Master Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and Microsoft Certified Professional.

Prior to joining the Port Authority, Mr. Washington was employed by the Florida Aquarium as Manager of MIS, GTE as a Research Analyst, IBM as a Senior Technician, and served in the U.S. Army in Military Intelligence.

Mr. Hobbs is also a Major serving in the Florida Army National Guard, currently assigned as the Headquarters Commander for Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. He joined in 2007, enlisting as a Combat Engineer before graduating Officer Candidate School and commissioning as a Military Intelligence Officer in 2009. He was selected to go to Army Flight School in 2011 and is an HH-60 Blackhawk Medevac Pilot. He served in Iraq from 2016-2017, earning a Meritorious Service Medal for his actions.

Mr. Hobbs is a two time graduate from Florida State University, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science in 2002 and his Master’s Degree in Political Science in 2004.

Fierst most recently worked as an economic development consultant and grant writer for several statewide Florida non-profits and the Florida House of Representatives. Prior to that, Ryan worked as a Senior Management Analyst for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity where she oversaw project, contract, and grant management for many of the state’s economic development agencies, including EFI, Space Florida, and VISIT FLORIDA. Fierst holds a Bachelor of Science from Liberty University and a law degree from Regents University School of Law. She is a native of Tampa and is a licensed attorney in the state of Florida.

Kancharla has a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of South Florida and is certified by the American Association of Port Authorities as a Professional Port Manager (PPM®). He is an alumnus of Leadership Florida, Leadership Tampa, and represents the port of Tampa on various committees involved in freight movement, intermodal planning, finance, trade, logistics and the maritime industry. Kancharla was appointed by the U.S. Commerce Secretary to serve on the U.S. Department of Commerce Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. He is one of the Miami Herald’s 2019 Florida Influencers.

Kancharla is active in the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Bay Partnership, Florida Council for Public Private Partnerships, Government Finance Officers Association, Intermodal Association of America Marine Division, and American Association of Port Authorities. He advises or serves on the boards of Floridians for Better Transportation, Economic Club of Tampa Bay, the USC Marshall Center for Global Supply Chain Management Executive Board, and the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research. Kancharla was a Global Advisory Council member for Columbia-based Innovation in Logistics Supply Chain and Port Management (LOGPORT), and was a U.S. Maritime Administration Strong Ports focus group member. He is an active Rotarian and serves on several community boards including Feeding America.

A dynamic brand marketer, strategist, award-winning creative writer and executive project manager, Karl develops programs that build brand value around Port Tampa Bay, positively impacting the Port’s target audiences with the goal of gaining market share and increasing revenue.

Karl’s experience spans more than 30 years in large media markets such as NYC, Los Angeles and Atlanta and he currently resides in Tampa, FL. He has worked at or on some of the top brands in the world including those at RJR Nabisco, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, I Love NY, Pearle Vision and Friedman’s Jewelers as well as 70s/80s “Madison Ave” agency stalwarts N.W. Ayer, DMB&B and Wells, Rich, Greene, among others. His experience includes a wide variety of product and service categories, but has among his specialties; retail, tourism, economic development and transportation. Karl has a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Florida, ’83.

Karl’s activities and awards include: District & Local ADDYs (Best of Show/Best of the Bays), Tellys, AMA and Industry Specific Honors including the Georgia Governor’s choice award 2009. He is a graduate of Leadership Florida (Cornerstone 38), a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Karl has served or serves on several advisory boards including Hillsborough Community College (HCC), United Way Suncoast, the Savannah Technical College, Tampa and Ybor City Chambers of Commerce, Visit Tampa Bay, The Tampa Economic Development Council and is a member of the Tampa Bay Propeller Club.

Prior to joining Port Tampa Bay, she was the head of Human Resources for a national Professional Employer Organization (PEO) specializing in HR services for small to mid-size businesses. Prior to moving to Tampa, she resided in Hawai’i where she started up and ran a Human Resources department for one of Hawai’i’s top five litigation and employment law firms. In addition, she held Co-Chair positions for the programs and college relations committees for the O’ahu Educational Foundation’s Hawai’i Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Ms. Toledo is an active member of the national and local Tampa chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Her current areas of responsibility and expertise include benefits, compensation, recruitment, employment law, employee relations, succession planning, HRIS programs, educational and career development, and HR technology programs.

Jorge Torres joined Port Tampa Bay in 2015. He serves as Senior Director of Security and Safety Compliance, and as the Port Authority’s designated Facility Security Officer (FSO). Jorge is responsible for ensuring the Port’s compliance with all maritime security regulatory requirements, manages the port security grant program, he is the Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism program manager, and directs the day-to-day operation of the security department.

Jorge served 14 years on active duty with the US Coast Guard, transitioning to the reserve component in 2009. Jorge retired in 2019 as a Senior Chief, having served a total of 24 years. Prior to joining PTB, he was a Facility Security Manager and designated Facility Security Officer at the Port of Houston Authority.

Jorge is a graduate of American Military University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Security Management, and a Master’s Degree in Homeland Security. Jorge has completed extensive training provided by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, satisfying the requirements for Infrastructure Protection, and is board certified as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by the American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS).

Jorge is an alumni of Leadership Tampa Bay class of 2018, a member of the American Association of Port Authorities Security Committee (AAPA), executive board member of the Tampa/Saint Petersburg Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC), as well as a member of the national and local chapter of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). In 2021, Jorge was elected to serve as a board member on the Propeller Club of Tampa executive board.

Before working at Port Tampa Bay, Mr. Chambliss worked for the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation as its principal Research Analyst investigating key macro-economic indicators that affected the Tampa Bay business community and conducting confidential research for companies looking to establish and/or expand their presence in the Tampa Bay market.

Prior to moving to Tampa, Florida, Mr. Chambliss worked as a consultant at the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico City, Mexico and as a consultant for the United States Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program in Washington DC. In addition, he worked as a representative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Chambliss earned an MBA from the Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology in Mexico City, Mexico and obtained both an MA in International Relations and a BA in Sociology from Eastern Illinois University. Mr. Chambliss is a member of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones’ Board of Directors and serves as the Vice Chair for the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Trade and Logistics Institute. Mr. Chambliss is also a licensed customs broker, an Accredited Zone Specialist, and fluent in Spanish.

Mr. De Jesus received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. He subsequently obtained a Masters in Business Administration. Mr. De Jesus is active with various technical and professional organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers and is part of the STEM youth outreach program through the Society of American Military Engineers. His is an alumni of Leadership Tampa Bay.

Ron has more than 20 years of corporate real estate and portfolio management experience. Before joining the team at Port Tampa Bay, Ron was a Senior Vice President at two of the country’s largest financial service organizations: Citigroup and The PNC Financial Services Group, where he was acknowledged for developing successful growth strategies, and implementing long-term master plans.

Ron has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics, from St. John’s University, and serves as a member of the Kairos Prison Ministry International and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Ministry Team.

Nancy’s career includes 6 years management experience with the Tampa Expressway Authority, and prior to that, she accumulated over 20 years of business administration experience within the private sector. She has worked in management and other leadership roles for engineering, construction and manufacturing firms ranging from small local businesses to global corporations.

Ms. Marino grew up in western Nebraska and graduated from Chadron State College (NE) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. She moved to the Tampa area in 1981. She and her husband currently reside in Valrico, FL.

As a marketing and creative director with more than nearly two decades of experience working on national accounts, Katie has promoted some of the world’s most recognizable brands. She mastered messaging for TV, web, and digital content for both large and small advertising agencies. She’s managed teams of designers, writers and developers for companies including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Delta Airlines.

Katie has mastered the art of understanding of what customers want – from their first impulse of desire to purchasing a product. Katie received an undergraduate degree in advertising and communications from Michigan State University. She also graduated from Portfolio Center in Atlanta with a specialty in art direction.

Prior to joining the Port, Mr. Sardino served as the SVP/CIO for HomeBanc in Tampa, FL. There he was responsible for the bank’s overall Technology Infrastructure and Systems Architecture. He served as chairman of the Technology Steering Committee as well as the bank’s Chief Information Security Officer.

Mr. Sardino is a graduate of Northwood University and holds numerous Microsoft and Cisco certifications.