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The newly named Interim Director for PortMiami has announced his retirement at the end of the month, just days after being named to the position by the mayor of Miami-Dade County. The Miami Herald reports Frederick Wong tendering his resignation on Tuesday, June 9, to the mayor's office, saying that he planned to retire.
Wong had been with the port for four years after being recruited from Jacksonville, Florida, where he had been for the prior five years. He had previously been PortMiami's Assistant Port Director of Operations, responsible for all cruise, cargo, and security operations. He has over 31 years of experience in all facets of port operations.
The mayor's office told the Miami Herald that it respected his personal decision, but had hoped he would continue to serve. According to the report, there was no mention of the ongoing turmoil over the fuel terminal on Fisher Island in his resignation letter.
The government of Miami-Dade has been embroiled in the issue of the fuel terminal since it went up for sale, and the county failed to buy it. A private developer paid approximately $180 million for the property on the tony adjacent island to the port and said it would close the fuel depot and redevelop it as more luxury condominiums.
Residents of the luxury communities on Fisher Island welcomed the news, but it created a problem for PortMiami, which depends on the fuel terminal. A Deputy Mayor, Jimmy Morales, and then Seaport Director Hydi Webb spent more than a year negotiating with the developer and presented a plan for the port to pay $200 million up front and another $200 million over 20 years to take control of the terminal.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava last Friday said the deal was too expensive and that the county would seek the property through eminent domain. She also announced the reorganization of the county government, with Morales, along with Seaport Director Webb, immediately leaving their roles, and that Wong would step in as Interim Director of PortMiami.
The shakeup comes as PortMiami continues its rapid growth. In the FY ended September 30, the port handled nearly 8.6 million passengers, a better than four percent annual increase and the highest annual passenger count in the seaport's history. A new terminal is under construction with Royal Caribbean Group after opening the port's largest terminal in the spring of 2025 with MSC Cruises. Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line each also recently developed new terminals.
The port was planning the arrival of 10 new cruise ships, including five newbuild vessels, during the 2025-2026 season on top of its large homeport fleet. It, however, lost the title of the busiest cruise port to Port Canaveral, which saw a better than 13 percent increase, pushing it above 8.6 million passengers for the FY year.
On the cargo side of PortMiami, it marked 11 consecutive years exceeding one million TEUs. In the FY, the port recorded a 2.35 percent increase in containers, exceeding 1.115 million TEU for the year.
Fuente: The Maritime Executive
