John Nardi named Person of the Year by the NYNJFFFBA

Awards event to be held February 3 at Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson

John Nardi, President, New York Shipping Association (NYSA), has been named the 2022 Person of the Year by the New York/New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders and Brokers Association (NYNJFFFBA). Mr. Nardi will be honored at a gala dinner on February 3, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, which is a new venue for the event.

A 38-year maritime industry veteran, John Nardi was appointed President of NYSA in 2013 after serving as its Executive Director for one year. NYSA’s core responsibility is to negotiate the collective bargaining agreement on behalf of management with the International Longshoremen’s Association. Additionally, NYSA represents the interests of its members in maximizing the efficiency, cost competitiveness, safety and quality of marine cargo operations in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

NYSA is comprised of ocean cargo carriers, terminal operators, stevedores, and marine-related businesses that operate the ships, move the cargo, hire and train the laborers as well as provide and maintain the equipment that moves more than $190 billion in products to and from the largest and richest consumer market in the world.

William Skinner, Chairman of the NYNJFFFBA, said: “John was key player on the NYSA bargaining committee whose deliberations with the ILA led to a strong six-year contract agreement in 2012 and another one in 2018. These agreements were a critical part of the record growth we have seen at the Port of NY/NJ.”

Mr. Nardi began his career with Atlantic Container Line in its trucking division, Atlantic Coast Express and later with its terminal operating affiliate Atlantic Coast Stevedores; he also served as its General Manager of Liner and Terminal Operations. In 1994, Mr. Nardi began his 18-year career with Hapag-Lloyd (America) Inc., where he held a series of management positions, including Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. He assumed full operational responsibility for Latin and South America in July 2009 when Hapag-Lloyd merged its North America and Latin America Operations.

In 2014, Mr. Nardi co-founded and served as Vice-Chair of the Port of NY&NJ Port Performance Task Force, which was created to identify and resolve performance issues in the port that impact fluidity and growth. He currently co-chairs the port stakeholder Council on Port Performance.

“We are proud to honor John with the 2022 Person of the Year Award for his nearly 40 years of contributions to the industry, including his recent his work with the port employers and the ILA throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in fluid movement of cargo through the Port of NY and NJ,” said Jeanette Gioia, President of the NYNJFFFBA.

Mr. Nardi is a graduate of the State University of New York Maritime College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and his Third Mates License. He serves on several industry boards, including the United States Maritime Alliance and is a Board Member of the Maritime Association of the Port of NY&NJ. He previously served as Chairman of the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA), Board of Directors of Consolidated Chassis Management and a working group member of the World Shipping Council.

The awards dinner is one of the largest industry events in the United States and is attended by executives and representatives of the ocean carriers, forwarders, brokers, terminal operators, government and the many ancillary industries.