Recent Connie Honorees

2011

Richard Steinke
Executive Director
Port of Long Beach

Mr. Steinke led the Port of Long Beach redevelopment of the former Long Beach Naval Complex, creating one of the nation’s largest container cargo terminals. He transitioned the Port, making it both a builder of modern cargo terminals while becoming environmentally efficient. Mr. Steinke also implemented a Green Port Policy that included a successful Clean Trucks Program in collaboration with the Port of Los Angeles.

Rick Gabrielson
Director of International Transportation
Target Corporation

Mr. Gabrielson is responsible for the management and movement of all imported product for Target Stores and Target.com. He also handles the negotiation and management of all overseas consolidation operations, all ocean carrier contracts and relationships, port operations, and deconsolidation operations with third party providers. He’s a founding member of the Coalition of Responsible Transportation.

George Schember
Vice President, Corporate Transportation and Logistics
Cargill

Mr. Schember’s responsibilities include all rail, truck and intermodal freight for Cargill. He is also in charge of the Global Container Group, and Cargill’s Warehouse and Terminal Group. He has held various roles in Cargill’s Flour Milling, Worldwide Dry Milling and North American Grain and Oilseeds businesses since 1984. He is a member of Cargill’s Agricultural Supply Chain Platform.

2010

J. Russell Bruner
Chairman & CEO
Maersk Inc.

Russ Bruner was appointed Chairman, Maersk Inc., the world's largest container carrier, in January 2010. He was named Executive Vice President of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group in 2006 and assumed the position of President & CEO, Maersk Inc. in September 2004. Mr. Bruner joined Maersk Inc. in 1989.

James I. Newsome III
President & CEO
South Carolina State Ports Authority

Jim Newsome became President and CEO of South Carolina State Ports Authority in September 2009. He was previously President of Hapag-Lloyd (America), Inc., responsible for all activities in North America and Latin America. Before assuming that role, he was Senior V.P. of Area Southeast for 12 years. From 1987 to 1997, Mr. Newsome held various management positions for Nedlloyd Lines.

Previous Connie Honorees

Nicola Arena
Karl Bakke
Don C. Becker
Honorable Helen Delich Bentley
Ken Bloom
Lillian Borrone
John Bowers
Robert Bray
James E. Butcher
James A. Capo
Dr. Y. F. Chang
L. Stanley Crane
Harold Creel Jr.
Thomas B. Crowley, Sr.
Manuel (Mike) Diaz
James J. Devine
Raymond P. Ebeling
James D. English
Conrad Everhard
Peter J. Gatti, Jr.
Alan Glass
Jon Hemingway
David Howard
Jesse C. Jessen
Dr. Leslie Kanuk
Christopher Koch
Captain S.Y. Kuo
C. Peter Lambos
Richard Larrabee
Jacques Leblanc
Rudiger (Rudy) Mack
M. Brian Maher
Michael Maher
Robert McEllrath
James McKenna
Malcom P. McLean
Ray Miles
Michael B. Northen
Clifford B. O’Hara
Robert Pfeiffer
Olav Rakkenes
Charles G. Raymond
Paul F. Richardson
Eric Ridder
Michael Sacco
Clifford Sayre
Anthony Scioscia
Bruce Seaton
Warren Serenbetz
Douglas A. Tilden
David J. Tolan
William F. Toohey
Dr. Anil J. Vitarana
Hays Watkins
Ronald D. Widdows
Philip C. Yeager

Special Connie Award Honorees

Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL)
Michael B. Berzon
Richard A. Simpson
Barbara S. Yeninas