- TAMPA, Fla. – Port Tampa Bay President and CEO Paul Anderson has been reappointed as chairman of the Florida Ports Council, an association of the state’s 15 public seaports, headquartered in Tallahassee. The association represents the voice of the port industry in Florida and provides leadership, on both the state and federal levels, in key initiatives that bolster the state’s maritime interests and seaborne trade, domestically and internationally.

“I am very excited to be reappointed to the chairmanship of this fine, collaborative agency and humbled by the confidence my fellow port directors have again placed in me. “Florida’s seaports will continue to be extremely important economic drivers in this state,” Paul Anderson, Tampa Bay Port president and CEO, said. I look forward to continuing to work with all of our world-class ports in driving economic development and job creation for the state of Florida.”

As president and CEO of Port Tampa Bay, Anderson oversees the customer-driven, strategic business focus of the port in working with stakeholders to develop and manage marine terminals while also supporting infrastructure for the benefit of the regional economy. The port’s position as a job generator continues to expand, along with the diversified portfolio of the port’s lines of business. In his role as chairman of the Florida Ports Council, Anderson will continue to utilize his expertise to lead the organization, representing Florida’s network of seaports which generate substantial contributions to every region of the state.

“Paul Anderson has been an invaluable asset to the Florida Ports Council during his many years in leadership roles with the organization. His extensive legislative experience supports our ports’ efforts to work with government officials and industry stakeholders at state, national and international levels to establish Florida as a prominent leader in global trade,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. “Florida seaports remain dedicated to continuing to increase our infrastructure and competitiveness, and we look forward to sustaining these efforts with Paul at our helm.”

Anderson has dedicated his work to the success and advancement of the nation’s seaports. A former federal maritime commissioner, he has held numerous other high-profile leadership positions in the public and private sectors over the past three decades—all of which have served to make him a highly qualified leader in the maritime industry. Prior to joining Port Tampa Bay, Anderson served as the chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Port Authority. Additionally, he currently serves as elected chairman of the Florida Ports Financing Commission and has held several leadership roles within the American Association of Port Authorities, among others.