Oakland, CA – March 4, 2011– The Port of Oakland received the Employer of the Year award at the Bay Area Chapter of Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) during their annual awards ceremony on Thursday, March 3rd at One Leidesdorff, San Francisco, CA. Pamela Calloway, 1st Vice President of the Board of Port Commissioners, accepted the award on the Port’s behalf.

“The Port of Oakland is proud of the accomplishments that led to this prestigious award,” said Pamela Calloway, 1st Vice President of the Board of Port Commissioners. We highly value integrity, intellect, collaboration and innovation throughout our organization and workforce. I am very proud that at every level of our organization skilled and experienced women are leaders. From our Board where two of three officers are women, to our executive team that includes the first woman to head the Oakland International Airport, the Port is a place where women and men in transportation are thriving.”

WTS International is a non-profit organization committed to advancing careers for women in transportation. Their Employer of the Year award is designed to honor an organization that: 1) has enhanced the transportation industry through commitment to excellence and quality in the services it provides or products it procures; 2) has had an outstanding record of diversity in hiring and promoting at all employment levels; 3) supports continuing education of its employees through professional education, professional organizations and professional development opportunities; 4) encourages women students to enter the transportation field by providing internship opportunities; and 5) has supported WTS.

According to WTS member, Jean Banker, Port of Oakland Maritime Manager of Administration and Finance Services, “The Port of Oakland has provided over half a million dollars in scholarships to our community via a Port employee scholarship fund; we maintain a 16 year history of providing internships to young women and men of high school and college age and have provided summer jobs, work experience and exposure to careers related to transportation for hundreds of students.” The Port also has a Non-discrimination and Small Local Business Utilization Policy which, in fiscal year 2009, saw 52% of major Port contracts go to local businesses and 6.5% of major contracts go to small businesses.

Additionally, the Port’s Maritime and Aviation Project Labor Agreement (MAPLA), which resulted from an unprecedented collaboration between the Port; labor unions; apprenticeship programs; contractors and community members, provides project labor stability and has delivered real benefits over the past decade including jobs, apprenticeships and significant work for local businesses. Through these types of policies and the activities of customers and tenants, the Port of Oakland supports more than 50,000 jobs in the region and is tied to 800,000 jobs nationwide.

“The Port of Oakland continues to prioritize support for our employees,” said Omar R. Benjamin, Executive Director. “We promote regular internal and external training for our employees to develop their skills; we offer tuition reimbursement and we provide membership to professional and industry organizations including WTS. We are honored to be recognized as Employer of the Year and we will strive to continue our efforts to be an innovative and sustainable organization.”

About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport, offering 130 daily flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Please visit: www.portofoakland.com.

Media Contacts:

Robert Bernado
Communications Manager
(510) 627-1401
[email protected]