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| Photo by Susan J. Young |
Steven Cernak, port director and CEO, Port of Galveston, has been named as chief executive/port director for Broward County’s Port Everglades Department (www.porteverglades.net).
Cernak will replace Phillip C. Allen, who is retiring on Feb, 3; Allen has led Port Everglades since 2006. Cernak's start date has not been finalized.
Cernak has served at the helm of Galveston's port operation since 1999. During that period, the port's revenues doubled and it became a top cruise home port in the Gulf of Mexico.
Among notable accomplishments, Cernak initiated a proactive response to severe damage at the port from Hurricane Ike in 2008. Cargo operations resumed after that storm in just eight days, cruise operations only 50 days later.
Cernak also negotiated a Project Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deepen Galveston Channel from 40 feet and 45 feet and secured federal funding for maintenance and new construction dredging to complete the project.
In the cruise sector, Cernak negotiated public/private development agreements with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Carnival Corporation, the world's two largest cruise companies, to build two new cruise terminals.
The new Carnival Magic began sailing out of Galveston in November 2011, and Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises have agreed to homeport ships at Galveston later this year.
Prior to moving to Texas, Cernak was the managerr of port development for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He also held engineering positions with several private engineering consultancies in New Jersey.
Cernak has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and M.B.A. from Dowling College in Oakdale, NY.
Visit www.porteverglades.net