Port leadership rotates as Neal takes the gavel
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has chosen Steven Neal as its next president, a change in leadership that arrives at a moment of heightened attention on the Port of Long Beach’s role in trans-Pacific trade, local jobs and emissions reduction. The five-member board elected Neal on Monday and also named Sharon L. Weissman vice president and Bobby Olvera Jr. secretary. Their one-year terms begin Aug. 10, when outgoing President Frank Colonna will hand over the gavel at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
- Steven Neal previously served as Commission president from 2021–22 and has held two terms as vice president.
- Neal was first appointed to the Commission in July 2019 and reappointed in April 2025 for another six-year term.
- The Board oversees Port policy and directs the Port’s CEO and roughly 600 employees.
Neal’s election reunites the port’s top ceremonial and policy role with a commissioner who brings both municipal experience and longstanding community ties. He represented North Long Beach on the City Council from 2010 to 2014 and serves as senior pastor for LIFE Gospel Ministries. Neal is also a co-founder of the Economic Policy Impact Center, executive director of the Long Beach Collective Association, and has served on the boards of Long Beach Transit and the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network.
“It is an honor to serve as President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners and I look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure the Port of Long Beach remains a leader in trans-Pacific trade,” Neal said.
Neal’s statement laid out the priorities he intends to pursue with his fellow commissioners and port leadership: bolstering the port’s stature in global trade, advancing zero-emissions goals and maintaining community outreach. Those themes reflect long-running priorities for the Port of Long Beach, which functions as a major regional economic engine and a focal point for air-quality and labor issues.
What the change means for the port and the city
The Board of Harbor Commissioners sets policy under the City Charter and directs the Port’s Chief Executive Officer, who oversees about 600 employees. With Neal as president, the board’s public face will carry his experience in community organizations and prior commission leadership into negotiations with labor, shipping interests and regulatory partners.
Neal’s prior experience on the City Council and his community nonprofit work suggest a continued emphasis on community-facing initiatives. The Port’s zero-emissions agenda — a technically complex and costly effort involving equipment turnover, shore power and fuels strategy — will remain central to board-level decisions where public accountability and intergovernmental coordination are essential.
Because commission officers are selected annually each July, the change was part of routine governance. Still, the president’s role can shape meeting agendas, public outreach and priority-setting. Neal served as the Port Commission’s president in 2021–22 and as vice president for two terms, experience that gives him familiarity with port operations and the institutional relationships that drive policy implementation.
| Officer | Position | Term begins |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Neal | President | Aug. 10 |
| Sharon L. Weissman | Vice President | Aug. 10 |
| Bobby Olvera Jr. | Secretary | Aug. 10 |
Neal was appointed to the commission in July 2019 by then-Mayor Robert Garcia and was unanimously confirmed by the City Council as the 70th appointee since the commission’s modern formation in 1925. He was reappointed to a second six-year term in April 2025 by Mayor Rex Richardson. Those appointments give Neal institutional tenure through 2029 and position him to influence multi-year port strategies during his presidency.
Day-to-day port management rests with the CEO and staff, but the commission shapes policy direction and community obligations. The port’s performance on trade throughput, emissions reduction milestones and community investments will be measured against priorities the new leadership commits to in the coming months.
As Neal prepares to assume the president’s gavel, Long Beach stakeholders — from labor leaders and shipping companies to neighborhood advocacy groups — will be watching for how the board balances economic throughput with environmental and workforce commitments. The port’s choices affect not only cargo on the docks but also jobs, traffic patterns, air quality and municipal revenues tied to one of the nation’s busiest seaports.
Neal’s stated intent to work with “my fellow Commissioners, Port executives and our many partners” frames the coming year as one of coordination. With his past presidency and community leadership, Neal steps into a familiar role at a consequential time for Long Beach.
