Governor Jeff Landry recently appointed Michael A. Thomas as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) for a five-year term.
With the alignment between Port NOLA and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), Thomas will also serve as Chairman of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission.
Thomas takes over from Joseph F. Toomy, whose last five-year term began on 16 August 2019, and officially ended on 15 August 2024.
“It has been an incredible honour to serve as both a Commissioner and Chairman of Port NOLA on three occasions, as well as in those roles for the NOPB Commission,” stated Toomy.
Under Toomy’s leadership, Port NOLA made notable strides on the US$1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project, including securing US$300 million in landmark INFRA and MEGA grants, marking the largest federal investment in a new container terminal in the U.S. Department of Transportation history.
Additionally, US$230 million was allocated by Governor Landry and the Louisiana Legislature for LIT and related port infrastructure projects.
“We are grateful to Mr. Toomy for his dedicated leadership as Chairman of our board. His decades of experience and visionary leadership have significantly enhanced our position and made a meaningful difference in the communities we serve. He has and will continue to play a pivotal role in bringing together the five ports on the Lower Mississippi River to identify more pathways to move Louisiana forward,” stated Ronald Wendel, Acting Port NOLA President & CEO and Acting CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB).
