Former Maine Port Authority chief hired to lead Connecticut’s ports

Photo / Tim Greenway John Henshaw, former executive director of the Maine Port Authority, will hold the same title at the Connecticut Port Authority.

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By Staff

John Henshaw, who served as executive director of the Maine Port Authority for more than a decade and oversaw the addition of Eimskip, has been hired to lead the Connecticut Port Authority.

He will start his new job as executive director on Sept. 8.

Henshaw will oversee economic development of Connecticut’s maritime economy and the development and growth of the Nutmeg State’s three deepwater ports and smaller harbors. The port authority is based in Old Saybrook, Conn.

In addition to his time at the Maine Port Authority, Henshaw served as commissioner for the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Portland. He left the post at the Maine Port Authority in 2017.

“There is a tremendous amount of maritime opportunity in Connecticut right now. Major investments to support port infrastructure and port operations are happening in all three of Connecticut’s deepwater ports, all while there is a consistent interest in further investing in the small harbors and marinas that form the foundation of Connecticut’s coastal culture,” Henshaw said in a press release posted on the Maritime Executive website and shared on his LinkedIn feed.

The Connecticut post has been vacant since October 2019, when the former director resigned after a state audit revealed a lack of financial and procedural protocols, the Day of New London, Conn., reported last week.

“Having spoken with the board and reviewed the Authority’s new operating format, there are clear organizational similarities to those that have brought us success in Maine," Henshaw said. "I'm confident [the Connecticut Port Authority] has been buttoned-up to the point where it can be successful, and I think we can make a tremendous impact on Connecticut’s maritime future as we move forward.”

Henshaw was selected for the position following an extensive search by the Connecticut authority’s board. Henshaw was credited with overseeing the redevelopment of a derelict port terminal in Portland, turning it into a small-container terminal, anchored since 2013 by Eimskip, the Icelandic shipping concern.

Henshaw also led the effort, still in progress, to build a new cold storage facility to support Maine’s food-and-beverage producers. Henshaw brought rail to Portland’s marine terminal for the first time in 60 years, which cut down the number of trucks on Maine highways while simultaneously developing intermodal cargo opportunities for Maine and reducing carbon emissions.

The search committee also took note of his experience working with the wind industry, “which makes him an ideal fit for supporting the currently emerging opportunities in Connecticut’s maritime economy,” the release said.

As an industry leader, Henshaw serves as the chair of the board of advisors of the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives and is a past president of the North Atlantic Ports Association.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with John’s experience take the reins of the CPA. As we continue to build up our waterfront infrastructure and grow our ports and working harbors, we will benefit greatly from someone like John who has experience in making full use of a state’s maritime assets to leverage investment and create opportunities for supply chain development,” said David Kooris, board chair for the Connecticut Port Authority.

Henshaw's "experience in working collaboratively with partners across local, state and federal government and his engagement with industry stakeholders will be important as we strengthen relationships with our local industry groups and communities," Kooris said. "This hiring is the culmination of a yearlong effort to build a strong foundation within the CPA that ensures John has what he needs to be successful in forwarding the CPA’s mission to grow Connecticut’s maritime economy.”