Paul Matthews has resigned as executive director of the Port of South Louisiana (PortSL), effective immediately, the port announced on Wednesday.
Deputy port director Brian Cox will serve as interim executive director. Cox has more than 25 years of experience in maritime operations and infrastructure development and has been part of the port’s executive team since 2017.
Matthews led the port since January 2022. During his tenure, the port reversed a seven-year decline in tonnage, achieved consecutive years of increased cargo throughput and revenues, secured state and federal funding, renewed long-term industry leases, and initiated over $1.5 billion in capital projects, including investments in renewable energy infrastructure, according to a port press release.
PortSL commission chairman Joey Murray said, “Paul Matthews brought energy and results to the Port of South Louisiana, which elevated our global competitiveness and positioned us for long-term success. We thank him for his service and wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
The port commission will begin a search for a permanent executive director in the coming weeks.
PortSL is a 54-mile port district on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, encompassing the parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James. The port is the largest port in Louisiana and second in the Western Hemisphere, ranking as the U.S.' top grain exporter and second-ranked energy transfer port. Port SL is home to seven grain transfer facilities, four major oil refineries, and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, among other facilities.
