Guest column: Consider being part of the Port's planning process
Growing up in Oxnard’s La Colonia neighborhood, I am the daughter of migrant farmworkers who worked in our local fields. I was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and came to the United States at age 3. I was the first in my family to attend a university and graduated from UC Santa Barbara with bachelor of arts degrees in Spanish Literature and Hispanic Civilization.
In 2020, I was appointed to the Oxnard Harbor District Board (also known as the Port of Hueneme) where I apply my business, education, and community experience to assist in strategic planning, economic vitality, employee empowerment and community outreach to improve the Port of Hueneme and the lives of Ventura County residents. In addition to my role on the Oxnard Harbor District Board, I serve as the Senior Director of Community and Government Relations for Cal State Channel Islands where I am committed to continuing opportunities in education for my community.
I care deeply for the people of our community and never forget where I came from. That is one of the reasons I choose to serve on the Harbor District Board. I am pleased to say the Port of Hueneme is a huge driver of economic prosperity in our community and specifically, for jobs. Supporting jobs, our local economy and serving on numerous non profit and workforce development organizations is something I am very passionate about.
The Port generates nearly 3,000 direct jobs with an average annual salary of $70,174. Jobs grew in record numbers this year to 20,032 jobs, with 4,200 new jobs, which account for 4% of Ventura’s gross domestic product, making up 6% of Ventura County’s workforce. Of note, 95% of these trade-created jobs are located here in Ventura County.
In addition to the economic benefits the Port and its customers bring to local residents, we are committed to grassroots community engagement and enrichment through support and presence at local events. Throughout the pandemic, the Port held 65 food collection and distribution events for local families in need. As life begins to return to normalcy, we continue to sponsor other community events and programs. One of the Port’s most rewarding and impactful programs involves our work with students, and we recently hosted the region’s first robotics competition for 1,200 high school students.
During my time as a Port Harbor Commissioner, we unanimously approved a resolution committing the Port to a zero emissions future, consistent with State of California climate goals. We also approved funding to purchase air quality monitors that were installed at local Haycox Elementary School and continue to work with our shipping and trade partners to implement cleaner and greener technology.
Our values of economic leadership, environmental stewardship and community engagement are at the core of what the Port of Hueneme does every day, and the decisions that we make, including weighing impacts and outcomes. I encourage you to please visit the Port’s strategic planning information on our website and consider being a part of our planning process. I am confident that we can all work together to be the preferred port for specialized cargo and provide the maximum possible economic and social benefits to our community and industries served.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Guest column: Consider being part of the Port's planning process
