12:03pm | The Port of Long Beach and the Federal Maritime Commission announced late last week that a member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners is among two individuals recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the FMC.

Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero was April 14 confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the newest member of the FMC, an agency responsible for regulating the nation’s international ocean transportation, according to information provided by the FMC. 

Cordero, who has served since 2003 on the Board of Harbor Commissioners governing the Port of Long Beach, was appointed to the new position by President Barack Obama last September. “I am very honored for the support by President Obama and the Senate,” Cordero said in a statement. “With my experience with the Port of Long Beach — one of the world’s premier seaports and a leading environmental steward — I can bring a unique and valuable perspective to the Federal Maritime Commission.”Cordero is currently serving his second term on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. During his first term, he served as both vice president and president of the board and is credited as having spearheaded the port’s Green Port Policy and Clean Air Action Plan, according to the FMC and the White House.

A political science professor at Long Beach City College and an attorney in private practice, Cordero earned his law degree from the University of Santa Clara and holds a bachelor of science degree in political science from Cal State Long Beach, according to the FMC.
 
He is a former Long Beach Community Development commissioner, and he previously served as the vice chair of the Long Beach Ethics Review Task Force. 

The FMC states on its website that it is an independent federal agency charged with regulating the nation’s international ocean transportation for the benefit of exporters, importers and American consumers. It aims to foster a fair, efficient and reliable international ocean transportation system while protecting the public from unfair and deceptive practices.
 
“The commission’s work is vital in assisting the economic recovery by facilitating international trade through the nation’s ports, as well as supporting increases in the efficiency and sustainability of shipping and port operations,” Cordero said in a statement.

FMC Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky Jr. described Cordero in a statement as “a leader in the port’s (Port of Long Beach) innovative trade promotion and environmental policies.” 

“I welcome having his valuable experience and perspective from our West Coast ports,” Lidinsky said. 

Cordero is expected to be sworn into his new post in the next several weeks, according to information provided by the port.

His term as a Federal Maritime commissioner is set to expire on June 30, 2014, according to the FMC.