The Port of San Diego is inviting members of the public to learn about the “State of the Port” at an evening event combined with its annual swearing-in ceremony for officers of the Board of Port Commissioners on January 7, 2016, at the USS Midway Museum.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the museum, which is located in a historic aircraft carrier docked in San Diego Bay at 910 North Harbor Dr. in San Diego. A limited amount of free public parking will be available in the adjacent lot on Navy Pier. Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation or carpool to the event.

According to a port statement, this public event reflects its commitment to serving the community with transparency, accountability and inclusivity.

Each January, the Board of Port Commissioners hosts a swearing-in ceremony in which the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary positions rotate for the calendar year. At this event, the public will learn about ongoing, completed and planned projects and initiatives taking place within the port.

Outgoing 2015 Chairman Dan Malcolm will be recognized and will provide a summary of the year in review and the current status of various initiatives. Following his speech, the incoming Board officers will be sworn in, followed by a speech from incoming Chairman Marshall Merrifield looking ahead to 2016. The other incoming 2016 Board officers are Vice Chairman Robert “Dukie” Valderrama and Secretary Rafael Castellanos.

The USS Midway Museum is a Port attraction since 2004 and is visited by more than 1 million people each year. Visitors to the museum enter a floating city at sea and walk in the footsteps of 225,000 Midway sailors who served our country and upheld the American ideals of strength, freedom and peace.

The Port of San Diego is a unified district encompassing five member cities surrounding San Diego Bay. A public agency, the port is charged by the State of California with developing the tidelands and commercial business as steward of the public-trust tidelands along 34 miles of San Diego Bay. It shares the waterfront with the Navy, which oversees 17 miles of San Diego Bay.

The port operates under the Public Trust Doctrine, which specifies that these waterways and waterfronts are primarily reserved for water-dependent uses such as fishing, cargo activity, bay tours and recreational access such as hotels and restaurants; as well as environmental and natural-habitat preservation.

The waterfront property features a portfolio of commercial real estate and facilities for maritime and public uses. There are 16 hotels, 25 marinas, numerous restaurants, public parks, tours and museum attractions operating side-by-side with a working waterfront of boatyards, sportfishing landings and marine cargo and cruise terminals.