For Immediate Release
September 15, 2003

Oakland, Calif. (September 15, 2003) - Port of Oakland has a new Director of Engineering - Gerald M. Serventi (Jerry Serventi), appointed by the Port Board of Commissioners in August. Jerry Serventi succeeds Joe Wong as Director of Engineering. Wong's promotion to Deputy Executive Director was announced last month.

Serventi joined the Port in 1978 as the Junior Engineer in the Construction Department. He has been promoted steadily throughout his career, where he now leads a division with over 200 people and a construction budget of more than $600 million.

In his tenure at the Port, Serventi was the project engineer of the Jack London Square Task Force, responsible for the design of Jack London Square. As the Port Principal Engineer on the Vision 2000 maritime expansion program, he had oversight of the planning, design, and construction of the project.

"Jerry was selected because he has knowledge and experience in all aspects of engineering at the Port having worked with all three lines of business - aviation, maritime, and commercial real estate," said Port of Oakland Executive Director Tay Yoshitani.

When asked about his career, Jerry Serventi remarked that one of his most gratifying projects was rebuilding the Oakland International Airport runway that had been damaged during the Loma Prieta quake in 1989. "Thirty-eight hundred feet of a ten-thousand foot runway had to be repaired," Serventi said. "I was asked to have the runway in full operation in time for the Christmas holiday rush." The job was completed in a quick 20 days.

"I see my job as working with the revenue divisions to find the most efficient and economical ways to accomplish their goals," Serventi added.

In addition to remaining active in civil engineering on a national level with the American Society of Civil Engineers, Jerry also makes time to coach youth soccer, baseball, and basketball teams.

Contact:
Midori Tabata
Communications Assistant
(510) 627-1187
mtabata@portoakland.com