Col. Robert Sinkler is the new Water Resources Infrastructure director at The Heart of Illinois Regional Port District, which is branded as TransPORT. The retired commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District says that after establishing the Illinois Waterway as a U.S. Port Statistical Area by the U.S. Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, his second priority is “getting Global Trade Magazine to recognize the Illinois Waterway as a ‘Top 50 U.S. Power Port’ in their annual port rankings.” (Sir, yessir!).

Michael Andaloro has ascended to CEO of BDP International, replacing Richard J. Bolte Jr., who will remain as chairman of the board for the privately held global logistics and transportation solutions company. BDP also promoted Nina Olatoke to vice president, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a newly created role for the Philadelphia-based company. 

San Diego, California-based Airspace, a leader in time-critical shipping, promoted SVP Alex Coates to chief financial officer while Ruan has promoted Marty Wadle to chief commercial officer and Chad Willis to chief transformation officer overseeing Information Technology, Operations Support Services and the Extended Operations Center. The Des Moines, Iowa-based logistics leader also welcomed Sofia Samuels as VP, Marketing and Communications. More Ruan news (sadly) ends our column.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based logistics giant C.H. Robinson snagged Arun Rajan to become chief product officer. BlueGrace Logistics, which is headquartered in Riverview, Florida, announced that Chief Commercial Officer Adam Blankenship has been added to the Digital LTL Council, which is comprised of more than 20 industry-leading Less-than-Truckload transportation providers, logistics service providers, shippers, technology providers and organizations.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Board of Directors has appointed Heidi Heitkamp, a former U.S. senator (D-North Dakota) and the founder of the One Country Project that aims to reconnect Democrats with rural voters, the chair of its 2021-22 Advisory Committee. The EXIM board also selected James (Jim) P. O’Brien, a partner with Baker & McKenzie LLP, to chair the 2021-22 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee.

Speaking of EXIM, its former VP of Economic Security and Operations is now the executive director of the Alexandria, Virginia-based International Wood Products Association. Before EXIM, Bradley McKinney was chief of staff for the International Trade Administration at the Commerce Department.

Wood Dale, Illinois-based Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and service provider, elevated COO Daniel Harms to president of Optimas Americas. Harms and Optimas International President Mike Duffy are also new members of the corporate board.

Samantha Galltin has replaced Kenneth W. Duncan as managing director of the Port of Long Beach (California) Commercial Operations Bureau, which comprises the Business Development, Tenant Services and Operations and Security Services divisions. Meanwhile, Carlo Luzzi has become the acting director of Tenant Services as the port recruits for that role.

Massimo Messina has been appointed vice president of Mergers & Acquisitions at Crowley Maritime Corp. He will be based in the maritime, energy and logistics company’s Jacksonville, Florida, office.

Brett Parker has joined Charlotte, North Carolina-based EDRAY, The Collaborative Port Logistics Platform, as chief commercial officer.

We end on a couple of sad notes: The Ruan family of companies is mourning the loss of Chairman Emeritus John Ruan III. He was 78. Dennis Rochford, a World Trade Center Delaware board member, also passed away. He was 73. RIP, gentlemen.