News & Updates

Following a national search, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry announced that seaport and economic development leader Jonathan Daniels will be the new Chief Executive & Port Director at Port Everglades. Broward’s diverse seaport is a global gateway for cargo, cruise and petroleum that is undergoing a $1.6 billion port expansion effort.

Daniels comes to Port Everglades from the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi where he has been the executive director since 2013.  

“Port Everglades is a dynamic economic engine for Broward County that will benefit from Jonathan’s business and economic development expertise,” Henry said. “The search for a director who could lead our seaport into the future was exhaustive, and I am confident that we made the right choice, as demonstrated by the Commission’s confirmation of his appointment.”

“I am honored to have been selected. I look forward to working with the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, the hard-working and dedicated employees of Port Everglades and its diverse business clientele,” said Daniels. 

In addition to his maritime experience in Gulfport, where he led a $570 million restoration and expansion project, Daniels also served as the Executive Director of the Port of Oswego in New York from 2007-2013, managing director of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge and Port Director for the Eastport Port Authority in Maine. 

Daniels also has an extensive background in economic development as the Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Maine Development Corporation, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations and development efforts of the six-county economic development district, and as the Director of the City of Bangor, Maine Office of Economic and Business Development. He also served as Senior Trade Advisor and Director, Maine International Trade Center, responsible for the State of Maine’s international trade development efforts for eastern and northern Maine.

Daniels is active in the maritime community and the community as a whole and serves on many boards and committees, including the American Association of Port Authorities and the American Heart Association. He is a graduate of The Citadel where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, and the Maine Maritime Academy where he was a Master of Science Candidate in Maritime Management. His professional education includes studies at the U.S. Army War College, Thomas College in New England, and the University of New Orleans where he completed the International Program for Port Planning and Management.

His tentative start date with Broward County’s Port Everglades is June 29, 2020.

About Port Everglades

As one of Florida’s leading economic powerhouses, Broward County’s Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Consistently ranked among the top three busiest cruise ports in the world, Port Everglades is also one of the nation’s leading container ports and South Florida’s main seaport for receiving petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund of Broward County, Florida government with operating revenues of almost $170.7 million in Fiscal Year 2019 (October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019).  It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations. The total value of economic activity related to Port Everglades is nearly $32 billion. More than 219,000 Florida jobs are impacted by the Port, including 13,037 people who work for companies that provide direct services to Port Everglades.  For more information on Port Everglades, visit porteverglades.net or e-mail PortEverglades@broward.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ellen Kennedy
Port Everglades Business Development/Communications
PHONE:  954-468-3508 or 954-868-0220
EMAIL: ekennedy@broward.org