An Award Luncheon honoring Bernard L. Charbonnet, Jr. Wednesday, March 2, 2005 12:00 Noon (cash bar at 11:30 a.m.) Plimsoll Club, 30th Floor, WTC (Free validated parking in the WTC Garage) Advance Registration Required

The C. Alvin Bertel Award is presented annually to an individual in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of the Greater New Orleans port area. 

Bernard Charbonnet is the President of Charbonnet & Associates, Planners and Consultants, Inc., as well as having his own law firm and serving on the adjunct faculty of Southern University Law Center. Mr. Charbonnet was appointed to the Dock Board in July 2000. He immediately sought out development projects to expand maritime job opportunities for local communities. Mr. Charbonnet’s first project was the advancement of the development of a dockside cold storage warehouse in the Port of New Orleans. Construction began in 2002 and the new cold storage facility opened in the summer of 2003. This project has resulted in the construction of a 160,000-sq. ft. facility which is now the largest export poultry facility in the Gulf. More than 350,000 tons of frozen poultry is exported annually from this facility at the Port’s Jourdan Road Terminal. The NOCS facility employs 150 longshoremen and 50 warehouse employees and expansion is being considered.

Mr. Charbonnet served as Chairman of the Dock Board from December 2003 to August 2004. During his tenure as Chairman, the Port commenced construction of a new cruise terminal and parking garage, making it possible for the Port to handle the world’s largest cruise ships with ample space to accommodate the growing parking demand. Mr. Charbonnet was also a leader in securing commitments from the State of Louisiana to fund the construction on a new cruise terminal at the Poland Avenue wharf. Initial studies of this project began in early-2004 and will result in construction of the Poland Avenue Cruise Terminal commencing this year, further expanding the Port’s cruise ship capacity.

Selection Committee Organizations

Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans

City of New Orleans

International Freight Forwarders and

Customs Brokers Association

Jefferson Parish

New Orleans Board of Trade

New Orleans Chamber of Commerce

Steamship Association of Louisiana

Plaquemines Port, Harbor & Terminal District

Port of South Louisiana

St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District

World Trade Center of New Orleans

Cost: $40 per person.  Tables of 8 can be reserved for $320.

If you are a WTC member, the registration fee can be charged to your account number noted on the registration form. 

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