Chairman Mario Cordero of Long Beach, California, was designated Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) by President Barack Obama on April 1, 2013. Prior to being designated Chairman, Mr. Cordero served as an FMC Commissioner. He was initially nominated to the Commission by President Obama on September 17, 2010, and he was confirmed by the Senate on April 14, 2011. Chairman Cordero was sworn in as an FMC Commissioner on June 3, 2011. In his role as Chairman, Mr. Cordero brings with him over thirty years of private legal practice and decades of public service – including serving eight years on the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Long Beach (POLB).

Prior to serving at the federal level, Chairman Cordero was very active in the Long Beach Maritime Community. Initially appointed by the then-Mayor of Long Beach and confirmed by the Long Beach City Council in 2003. While a POLB Commissioner, Chairman Cordero spearheaded the Port of Long Beach’s pioneering Green Port Policy, a policy aimed at reconciling economic growth and environmental stewardship to achieve long-term, sustainable port development. During his years serving on the Port of Long Beach’s managing body; he served as both a Vice-President and President. He also used his time and leadership position on the POLB to educate the public about the importance of a robust Port, an effort that included new and expanded community outreach initiatives.

Concurrent with his leadership positions on the POLB, Chairman Cordero took an active role in the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a multi-national trade association representing more than 130 public port authorities throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Notably, Chairman Cordero served on the Executive Board for the AAPA’s Latin American delegation. In this role, he led efforts to develop cohesive policies for greater cooperation, increased trade, and joint-growth across the combined North American and Latin American footprint.

Actively seeking to share the knowledge and opportunity he gained with his education, Chairman Cordero tries to find time to teach. In the past, he has served as adjunct professor for the Long Beach City College, where he taught political science. The Chairman earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science degree from California State University, Long Beach, and he subsequently earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Santa Clara.