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January 28, 2020
Dear Subscriber,
GOVERNOR HOGAN APPOINTS BALTIMORE RESIDENT EDWARD MCDONALD TO MARYLAND PORT COMMISSION
(BALTIMORE, MD) – Governor Larry Hogan has appointed Baltimore City resident and former state transportation official Edward F. McDonald to serve on the Maryland Port Commission. Mr. McDonald will fill the seat previously held by Walter Tilley, who stepped down from the commission in November, and will complete a term running through July 1, 2021. The six-member port commission establishes policies designed to improve the competitive position of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore within the international maritime industry.
“Ed McDonald brings a strong transportation and public service background to the Port Commission,” said Governor Hogan. “The Port of Baltimore is one of Maryland’s leading economic generators, and I am confident Ed will play an important role in our efforts to continue its growth and demonstrate that Maryland is open for business.”
Mr. McDonald retired last year after five years as chief of staff for the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). He previously served as chief of staff for U.S. Representative Howard Coble of North Carolina, from 1988 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2014. During this time, Congressman Coble chaired the U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee. In 2003, Mr. McDonald served as deputy chief of staff for Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
“I thank Governor Hogan for giving me the opportunity to serve on this wonderful commission,” said Mr. McDonald. “The Port of Baltimore is incredibly important to the City of Baltimore and all of Maryland. I’m very excited to begin working with my new colleagues and assisting the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) in building upon the successes that have been achieved in recent years."
Mr. McDonald has an undergraduate degree from Towson University. He is vice president of the Towson University Alumni Association and a board member of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum.
The Port of Baltimore ranks first among the nation’s ports for volume of autos and light trucks, roll on/roll off heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar and imported gypsum. It ranks 11th among major U.S. ports for cargo handled and ninth nationally for total cargo value. Final figures for 2019 are not yet available, but in 2018 the Port handled a record 43 million tons of international cargo at its state- and privately-owned marine terminals. The value of that cargo was also a benchmark: $59.7 billion. The state-owned public terminals handled a record 10.9 million tons of general cargo, more than a million TEU containers in 2018, and also a record 850,147 cars and light trucks, which was the most in the U.S. for the eighth consecutive year.
The Port of Baltimore generates about 15,330 direct jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs overall linked to Port activities. The average salary for people with direct jobs at the Port is 9.5 percent higher than the average annual wage in Maryland. The Port is responsible for nearly $3.3 billion in personal wages and salaries, $2.6 billion in business revenues and $395 million in state and local tax revenues.
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