PHA Executive Director Kornegay Named 1st Vice President of International Association of Ports and Harbors; Houston Named Host City for IAPH's 2007 Global Conference.

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HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2003

The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) today announced that Executive Director Tom Kornegay was elected First Vice President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) during the association's conference in Durban, South Africa. In this capacity, Kornegay will also chair the IAPH's technical committees of sustainment and growth for which he provides leadership on matters such as membership, communication and networking, and human resources development. As a point of IAPH succession, Kornegay will become president of IAPH at the end of the 2005 conference in Shanghai, China, and presiding president during the association's 2007 conference in Houston.

Outgoing IAPH President Dr. Akio Someya, Executive President of Nagoya Port Authority, Japan, stated, "Tom has been affiliated with IAPH for nearly 25 years. His leadership on matters related to port safety, environment, marine operations and dredging has been exemplary. He is ideally suited to take on this added level of responsibility."

Incoming IAPH President Pieter Struijs, Executive Director/Vice Chairman of the Rotterdam Municipal Management Port, Netherlands, stated, "In his new role, Kornegay will have tremendous influence to promote IAPH's global strength. He will be a strong advocate for information exchange among members and support for programs aimed at enhancing opportunities for training, educational and technical assistance for ports in developing countries. With Kornegay as 1st Vice President, Datin Paduka O.C. Phang of Klung Port Authority as 2nd Vice President, and Siyabonga Gama of the National Port Authority as 3rd Vice President, I feel that IAPH has a superior leadership team in place to advance the ideas and goals of the organization."

During the Durban conference, Kornegay and the PHA commission's Vice Chairman Kase Lawal made a formal presentation to affirm Houston's bid to host the IAPH's 2007 conference, which is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 delegates. The ten-minute multi-media presentation titled "Simply the Best" highlighted Houston's rank as first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. It also touted Houston's international business strengths, cultural amenities, and entertainment and tourist attractions. The presentation was produced in collaboration with the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The IAPH conference was last held in Houston in 1977 at the Shamrock Hotel. During that conference, a time capsule was planted at the PHA's then newly built Barbours Cut container terminal of which Kornegay was design engineer. Organizers of the 2007 conference plan to open the capsule and bury a new one at the site of the PHA's proposed Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal.

PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds stated, "The IAPH's 2007 conference will advance Houston's stature as a world class destination. In addition, I am confident that Tom Kornegay's extensive experience will greatly enhance the direction of IAPH's strategic leadership."

PHA Public Affairs Director Argentina M. James will serve as chair of the 2007 conference in Houston. James joined the PHA in June, 2002.

The IAPH holds its world conference every two years. During non-conference years, the 150 members of the executive board conduct a midterm meeting. The next midterm meeting will be held in South Carolina.

About the Port of Houston Authority

The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com

About the International Association of Ports and Harbors

The International Association of Ports and Harbors was founded in 1955 in Los Angeles as a non-profit Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) headquartered in Tokyo in Japan. IAPH's motto is "world peace through world trade, world trade through world ports." The association is often referred to as the World Port Association (WPA) in which active leaders in the global port community, namely port CEOs, port directors and port managers are represented to promote and advance the common interests of their community. The IAPH has 223 regular member ports and 113 associate members representing 90 different maritime countries and economies. Ports affiliated to the IAPH handle some 60% of the world's seaborne trade (more than 6 billion tons.) and more than 90% of the world's container traffic. The IAPH has been granted consultative status as non-governmental organization by the five inter-governmental bodies ECOSOC, IMO, UNCTAD, UNEP, and WCO, whose decisions directly or indirectly affect the world port community. The IAPH actively participates in the discussions and programs through its appointed liaison officers and in concerted actions to be carried out by the IAPH technical committees and group experts.

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