Dr. Noel Hacegaba

Ambassador

Dr. Noel Hacegaba is the Deputy Executive Director of Administration and Operations for the Port of Long Beach, California. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day administrative and operating functions of the Port, including finance, human resources, real estate, business development, operations, communications and security. He was named to the post in August 2018 by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, the governing body for the Port.

More recently, Dr. Hacegaba served as the Port’s Managing Director of Commercial Operations and Chief Commercial Officer from 2014-2018. In this role, he was the senior executive responsible for developing and executing business development strategies to drive cargo and revenue growth.

Dr. Hacegaba successfully managed the Port’s commercial activities during a period of significant industry realignment and led the swift recovery of its largest container terminal following the biggest bankruptcy in shipping line industry history, clearing the path for record volumes in 2017 and 2018. Dr. Hacegaba also led the Port’s business development, operations, customer service and security functions, and collaborated with customers and industry partners to optimize the supply chain and drive cargo growth.

Previously, Dr. Hacegaba served as the Port’s Acting Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for managing the day-to-day business activities of the Port. He began his career at the Port in 2010 as the Executive Officer to the Board of Harbor Commissioners, a position that reported directly to the Board and coordinated the governing body’s policy, administrative and communications functions.

Dr. Hacegaba has more than 23 years of public and private sector experience spanning a variety of industries. Prior to joining the Port, he managed $200 million in contracts for a Fortune 500 company. In earlier roles, he served as a senior administrator for an elected office, a business executive for a growing company engaged in international trade, a research analyst for a policy research group and as a management consultant.

He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned degrees in economics (B.A. and M.A.), business administration (B.S.) and urban planning (MPL). He earned his doctorate in public administration at the University of La Verne, where he continues to serve on the faculty of the school's College of Business and Public Management.

Dr. Hacegaba is also a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs, one of the nation's premier post-graduate fellowship programs. Additionally, he is a Certified Port Executive (CPE) and earned the Port Professional Manager (PPM) professional designation offered through the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). As part of his work in the PPM program, Dr. Hacegaba authored a white paper, “Big Ships, Big Challenges: The Impact of Mega Container Vessels on U.S. Port Authorities,” which was published by AAPA and widely distributed as a reference resource within the port authority sector and the broader goods movement industry. He has written numerous other articles published in Port Technology International and the Journal of Commerce.

An active member of the community and the goods movement industry, Dr. Hacegaba serves in various leadership roles, including Chairman of the Professional Development Board of the American Association of Port Authorities. He is also a member of the Marine Exchange of Southern California Board of Directors, Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce Board of Directors, St. Mary Medical Center Board of Trustees, Long Beach City College Foundation Board of Governors and the Los Angeles/Long Beach Propeller Club. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Intermodal Association of North America, the largest organization representing the combined interests of the intermodal freight transportation industry. He is an avid writer and musician and he and his wife and daughter make their home in Long Beach.