Incoming Port of Long Beach CEO will serve as voice for state’s ports
The California Association of Port Authorities (CAPA) has announced that incoming Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba has been elected president of the organization.
“California’s ports are vital to the state economy, the nation’s transportation system and the global supply chain,” Hacegaba said. “I am honored to be elected President of the California Association of Port Authorities and excited to work with my colleagues to champion policies that strengthen our competitiveness by accelerating investments in capital and digital infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. I also look forward to collaborating with our state leaders to prioritize ports and their role in supporting the world’s fifth-largest economy.”
Hacegaba is a longtime Port executive currently serving as the Port’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing daily operations including commercial services, engineering, finance and administration, planning and environmental affairs, and strategic advocacy. He will succeed departing CEO and outgoing CAPA Vice President Mario Cordero on Jan. 1, 2026.
“Noel has been a skilled, articulate, and charismatic public voice for the Port of Long Beach as an executive during the last 15 years,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “He has a complex understanding of what the state’s ports need to be successful now and in the future. The California Association of Port Authorities has made an excellent choice for its next President.”
In his role as President, Hacegaba will speak on behalf of California’s 11 deepwater ports, which handle 38% of all containerized imports and 28% of all exports in the United States. He succeeds Kristine Zortman, Executive Director of the Port of Redwood City, who served as CAPA’s President from 2023 to 2025. Hacegaba was elected unanimously at CAPA’s annual meeting by the organization’s Board of Directors. During the annual meeting, Kristen Decas, CEO and Port Director of the Port of Hueneme, was elected Vice President, and David Libatique, Deputy Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement of the Port of Los Angeles, was re-elected Treasurer.
Since its founding in 1940, CAPA has remained dedicated to its mission by educating state and federal policymakers on port operations while also advancing the best interests of the maritime community.
CAPA also maintains formal agreements on behalf of its member ports with the Federal Maritime Commission and regularly communicates with the FMC and other national interests.
For more about CAPA, go to californiaports.org.
