Manuel (Manny) Almira has been appointed Executive Director of the Port of Palm Beach, succeeding Lori A. Baer, who resigned this past March.

The Port of Palm Beach District Board of Commissioners appointed Almira, a 25-year veteran of the maritime industry, to the Executive Director position on June 24; he formally accepted the position and its three-year contract this morning. Almira’s extensive maritime industry knowledge combined with in-depth South Florida market experience made him a stand out amongst the five finalists. He will assume the Executive Director position effective July 14, 2008.

“The Port of Palm Beach is eager to bring Manny Almira on-board. His years of business development experience in both international shipping and the U.S. seaport arena demonstrate a solid background in the fields of waterborne and landside transportation. His energy and determination are certain to move the initiatives of our Port Commission in a positive direction,” said Dr. Jean L. Enright, Chairwoman of the Port of Palm Beach District Board of Commissioners.

Almira joins the Port of Palm Beach after 15 years of service to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he recently served as Assistant Director of Business Development. Responsible for planning and development of commercial activities, he maximized revenue potential for the port’s container cargo, bulk, break-bulk and cruise sectors. He has also held management positions at T. Babun Shipping, Sealand, Crowley American Transport Lines and United States Lines. Born in Cuba, Almira is a U.S. Citizen who received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bernard Baruch College, City University of New York.

“I look forward to the opportunity of working with the Port of Palm Beach Commissioners to further develop ideas and to provide a valuable roadmap for staff, which will include strategic direction, guiding the efforts of the Port to meet new challenges and goals,” Almira said.

The Port of Palm Beach annually handles some 3.2 million tons of cargo and 257 thousand containers, ranking as the fourth busiest among Florida’s container ports and among the top 25 in the nation. The Port of Palm Beach District is an independent special taxing district, a subdivision of the state of Florida, which covers 971 square miles or about half of Palm Beach County.