A deep-water international seaport nestled in the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Gulfport ranks as USA’s second busiest importer of green fruit. Tons of fresh Dole and Chiquita bananas along with lots of pineapples aboard arriving cargo ships are staples on Mississippi Gulf Coast docks.
     Overseeing world-class terminal services for seaborne cargo and customers, promoting international trade along with economic development plus showcasing premier maritime operations are Port of Gulfport cornerstones.
     Jon Nass embraces all of those key assignments and brings innovative leadership when he starts work in early June as the Port of Gulfport’s new CEO and executive director. He was recently selected by Mississippi State Port Authority Board of Commissioners following an eight-month national search.
     Working in management at the 204-acre facility in Gulfport is a perfect fit for the former No. 2 leader of the Maine Port Authority leader. In late May, Jon hit the ground running building relationships with Mississippi officials and getting to know the port’s 45 employees. As the former senior policy advisor in the State of Maine’s Governor’s Office, he networked with people on issues from transportation to tax policy and emergency management.
     Jon’s skill set should pay dividends as his effective management style takes root in South Mississippi.
     Thrilled to lead the Port of Gulfport, Nass salutes its “dedicated team, modern infrastructure and diversified revenue base.’’ He’s elated to see the Mississippi State Port Authority’s commitment to promoting economic development, the movement of freight as well as its push for workforce development and service to the Gulf Coast community. “All attracted me to this position. I look forward to getting to work,’’ Nass said following his selection this spring.            
     “I’m so impressed with the infrastructure in Gulfport,’’ Nass told the Seaside Social News on Memorial Day weekend. “It’s a brand-new facility, but a little bit underutilized.’’ He seeks to step up its role to enhance Mississippi businesses and build a series of solid public/private partnerships for years to come.
     Teaming with railroad and trucking companies, cargo owners plus state leaders, including Gov. Tate Reeves and Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes, are big pieces of his 2021 to-do list. “I met Billy a month ago and am impressed with his knowledge of economic development.’’

     From Mississippi Development Authority leaders to port commissioners and Gulf Coast mayors, he’s eager to work with so many Mississippians seeking to strengthen the Magnolia State. He’s anxious to break bread with them and tout the Port of Gulfport story. Just one hour from New Orleans, the Mississippi newcomer wants to extend those relations to people in the Big Easy, Mobile, and ports across the USA. “You can’t look at maritime work in isolation,’’ Nass told a Seaside Social News reporter in late May.
     Jon Nass is an experienced professional who’s achieved success during his work with the Maine Port Authority. He helped develop Northern New England’s only container terminal and secured tens of millions of dollars in funding for port and rail infrastructure. In addition, he pressed for a public-private partnership to construct Maine’s only publicly available climate-controlled storage to support the state’s food and beverage industries.
     The Port at Gulfport’s new CEO and executive director succeeds Jonathan Daniels who left the Gulfport post to take a job in Florida.

“Jon’s extensive background includes port management, economic development, homeland security and policy advising, making him an ideal candidate to lead our State Port.’’

MSPA President E.J. Roberts

     Jon’s served as deputy commissioner with the Maine Department of Transportation and worked in Washington for seven years. That includes service to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security. Nass received his Juris Doctor from Catholic University of America where he was a member of the Law Review. He practiced law in Maine and Washington, D.C. as a litigator and government services attorney. He majored in history and government at St. Lawrence University.
     Jon is familiar with Mississippi Gulf Coast economic drivers like Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula as well as similar operations in Bath, Maine. Relationships between Bath facilities and Ingalls Shipbuilding as they construct U.S. Navy destroyers are pretty strong.
     Nass reports to work in early June at a good time, with the USA economy bouncing back and businesses opening up after getting rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. He inherits a stellar staff at the Port at Gulfport.
     From people operating cranes, the business staff, managers, press staffers and port commissioners, he’s a firm believer in their skills. “I’m pretty impressed.’’

     Nass, who’s traveled to nations like Iceland four to five times a year on business trips, envisions smooth sailing ahead in South Mississippi. But with any leadership post, there will be challenges on the horizon as well.
     The winter weather in the Magnolia State will be much warmer than what Jon’s used to in Maine. But he sees more similarities than differences between the two states, one in New England, the other more than 1,000 miles away down South.
     In May, Jon and his wife experienced the delicious culinary attractions in New Orleans. Finding wonderful seafood dishes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast or in the Crescent City won’t be a problem for the Nass family. The new Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is something the family can’t wait to visit.
     Jon relaxes by watching football on TV, going fishing or bicycling. He’s cheered for the NFL’s New England Patriots for many years, but switched his allegiance to the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2021. He’s a fan of seven-time Super Bowl winner, Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer is a phenomenal quarterback at age 43. Brady demands excellence as a pro and so does Jon Nass.
     Jon is well-versed on the banana business and its vital role at the Port at Gulfport. Chiquita and Dole, bring a huge amount of fruits to Gulfport docks from one year to the next. “Between the two of them, they are the lion’s share of the imports.’’
     He’s got a firm grasp of the latest developments in America’s railroad business. Teaming with the railroad business is just one of the partnerships he’s eyeing, whether it is Canadian Pacific Railway or another giant company linked to his work in the transportation universe.

On the Cover: Jon Nass begins his position as the Port of Gulfport’s new CEO and executive director in early June.

Andy Kanengiser

Mississippi College’s university news coordinator, Andy Kanengiser, spent three decades as a newspaper reporter. For much of his career, the New Jersey native worked at “The Clarion-Ledger.” Andy also serves as the advisor to the “Mississippi Collegian,” MC’s student newspaper. Pearl residents, he and his wife, Sunuia, stay busy with their five adult children and 10 grandkids! An avid table tennis player, Andy captured gold and silver medals at the Mississippi Senior Olympics, (and State Games). He’s in his 13th season sponsoring the MC team, national collegiate champs in 2015 and No. 2 in 2019.