The Los Angeles City Council has approved the appointment of Michael ‘Mickey’ Chavez to the Los Angeles Harbour Commission. Nominated by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Chavez is a long-time labour leader and member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). He succeeds departing Harbour Commissioner Edward Renwick.
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“With more than 25 years of service at the Port and a family legacy rooted on the waterfront, Chavez is exactly the type of leader we need on the Harbour Commission,” said Mayor Bass. “With first-hand knowledge of port operations, a strong commitment to our union workforce and a deep understanding of our Harbour communities, I look forward to having his invaluable perspective on the Commission. I’m also proud that under my leadership, a supermajority of our Harbour Commissioners live and work in the Harbour area, giving this community the power to help shape its own future.”
“I also want to thank Edward Renwick for more than a decade of dedicated service to the Port of Los Angeles. His leadership, vision and contributions have been critical in helping the Harbour Commission deliver a new vision for the Port and its surrounding communities.”
With the appointment of Chavez, four members of the Harbour Commission appointed by Mayor Bass — Chavez, Vice President Yolanda De La Torre, Sheila Lewis and Lee Williams — are residents of Los Angeles’ 15th Council District, home to the Port of Los Angeles.
Chavez brings more than 25 years of experience in port operations, labour leadership and community advocacy to the position. He comes from a family of longshoremen whose waterfront roots date back to the 1940s. Currently a nightside general foreman at Metropolitan Stevedore Company, Chavez previously served as president of the ILWU Southern California District Council. His experience spans container, bulk cargo, vessel and rail operations at the San Pedro Bay port complex.
In addition to his labour leadership, Chavez serves on the Harbour Community Benefit Foundation’s Clean Ports advisory board, bringing a waterfront workforce perspective to efforts to reduce port emissions and improve conditions in surrounding communities. He is also a California Democratic Party delegate for Assembly District 65 and Region 6 vice chair of the party’s Chicano Latino Caucus.
The Los Angeles Harbour Commission oversees the management and operation of the Port of Los Angeles. The five-member Board is appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council. Commissioners serve as volunteers.