News & Updates

Port of Palm Beach Swears-In Commissioners

January 23, 2023

With the start of the New Year, three Port of Palm Beach Commissioners were sworn into office.

Newly elected Port Commissioner for Group 5 Dr. Deandre Poole took the oath of office. Dr. Poole is a West Palm Beach native, and is an instructor and coordinator for diversity, equity and inclusion for the School of Communication and Multimedia Studies at Florida Atlantic University.

“I ran for the Port because I believe with the right leadership, the Port can continue to be an economic engine in Palm Beach County, and be put in a solid position to find additional opportunities for revenue growth and the creation of even more sustainable local jobs for the community,” Commissioner Dr. Poole said.

Reelected Commissioner Blair Ciklin, the longest serving Commissioner on the board, was also sworn-into office.

Both Ciklin and Dr. Poole were elected during the most recent General Election and will serve four-year terms.

Also, newly appointed Commissioner for Group 2 Varisa Lall Dass has also been sworn in. She will serve the remainder of the Group 2 term, which expires in January, 2025. Lall Dass is the first Trinidadian-American woman to serve as a Port of Palm Beach District Commissioner.

After officially being sworn in, the newly-seated board elected Dr. Jean Enright to serve as chair.