Dr. Noel Hacegaba - Chief Executive Officer, Port of Long Beach

A single moment of bad luck can become the best break of your career. Dr. Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, tells the story of how his assigned seat at a major event was taken, how he ended up next to the Port’s HR director, and how that one conversation helped launch a journey that now places him at the center of global trade, goods movement, and supply chain leadership.

We go deeper than job titles to talk about what leadership really looks like day to day. Noel connects his immigrant roots, a Spanish-speaking blue-collar upbringing, and a life shaped by faith to a servant-leadership style built on trust, respect, and compassion. He shares practical lessons from early jobs, managing people who knew more than he did, and learning that real influence comes from advocating for others and helping teams succeed.

From there we zoom out to the big picture: the Port of Long Beach as a major economic engine, the public’s new awareness of ports after COVID-era supply chain disruption, and what it takes to lead through uncertainty when there is no playbook. Noel explains his bold vision to double container throughput by 2050, why building a “championship culture” matters, and how global conversations like Davos shape the future of supply chain resilience and sustainable trade.

If you care about leadership, workforce development, logistics, or the future of California’s economy, this conversation delivers both inspiration and concrete takeaways. Subscribe, share this with a future leader, and leave a review with your biggest lesson from Noel’s story.

📌 ABOUT OUR GUEST:  
🔹 Name: Dr. Noel Hacegaba
🔹 Title: Chief Executive Officer, Port of Long Beach
🔹 Guests Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-noel-hacegaba-60b7894/

Transcript

Welcome To California Leaders

Narrator 1 0:00

Welcome to the California Leaders Podcast, where we dive deep into the stories of the visionary shaping the future of our region. Hosted by Christopher Luna, this podcast brings you conversations with the movers and shakers, driving innovation, leadership, and community impact across California. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a community leader, or simply someone passionate about making the difference, this podcast is your gateway to the insights and inspiration you need to lead and succeed. Get ready to get inspired by the leaders making waves in California and beyond.

Narrator 2 0:36

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Noel Hasigama, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach. Dr. Noel Hasigama is a world leader in supply chain innovation, customer service, and environmental sustainability. He is responsible for advancing the port's pioneering projects and programs and elevating its leadership position in the global trade arena. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned degrees in economics, business administration, and planning. He also earned his doctorate in public administration from the University of Laverne. Dr. Hassigum is a certified port executive and earned the Port Professional Executive and Port Professional Manager Professional Designations from the American Association of Port Authorities. He has also authored numerous papers and articles published by the Journal of Commerce, Port Technology International, AAPA, and others. He serves on various influential industry boards, including the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors, California Association of Port Authorities, American Association of Port Authorities, Professional Development Board, USC Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, and the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility. In 2025, Dr. Hatsigamba was awarded the prestigious Stanley T. Olifson Bronze Club, the highest honor awarded by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Community for his exemplary leadership in advancing international trade. Please welcome Dr. Noel Hatsagamba.

Christopher Luna 2:04

Welcome to California leaders. Today we have an incredible guest. You are so inspiring to me, and I really do appreciate you making the time to come out here.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 2:21

The honor is all mine, Chris. Thanks for having me. You're a longtime friend and excited for the vision you have for uh this this series.

Christopher Luna 2:28

Uh thank you. Have you had a chance to kind of see what this is about or or what when I invited you to something like this, what did you think?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 2:38

I thought it was going to be a series of interviews. Uh, what I have begun to see is a vision that's much broader and exciting. And I'm a lifelong student of leadership. And anytime I can contribute to uh a discussion on leadership, what it is and how it transforms cities and in our case states, it's an incredible opportunity. So happy to be part of this with you.

Christopher Luna 3:00

And the reason why I'm so honored to have you here is your leadership journey is incredible. I don't think I can think of anyone else that's had something similar to your path. I mean, so so so inspiring. But it a lot of times it starts with your childhood. But for you, I was always really surprised about your last name and how that that how that story came out. So if you don't mind me kind of or don't mind uh the audience learning about that background and how that uh the last name kind of came into the United States, because that's an incredible journey right there.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 3:33

Yeah, happy to tell you the story. It's a reminder for all of us that it's always good to remember where you came from. In my case, my great-grandfather was from Japan. He was in Okinawa. And after having served in the military during World War I, he and two of his buddies decided to leave Japan to come to America. So they got on a boat, sailed down the Pacific, and somehow, and it's still not clear to us how this happened, he and his two friends ended up in Mexico. So they ended up settling in Sinaloa, and there my great-grandfather met my great-grandmother, who was a Mexican uh from Spain.

unknown 4:12

Okay.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 4:12

They didn't obviously he didn't speak Spanish, she didn't speak Japanese, but they managed to uh form a relationship and have 12 children. So they made it work. Wow. And so my grandfather uh ended up marrying my grandmother, and that's where my last name comes. My great-grandfather was Hasegawa, that's the original Japanese name. But when he arrived into Mexico, the uh Mexican officials changed it to Hasegawa. And so that's where my name comes from.

Christopher Luna 4:41

Did they change the year too? Because some my dad has a different year, and I think a lot of people have those mistakes kind of going on.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 4:48

You know, if they did, I I I wouldn't know. And and again, in those days, uh they didn't do the best of jobs of keeping uh track of of things like that. But it it's it's a reminder for me that uh, you know, never forget where you came from and and always respect and appreciate your uh you know your your past and your culture.

Christopher Luna 5:08

So how many generations were in Mexico before you guys came to the United States?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 5:12

So that was my great-grandfather. So my grandfather, uh, then my parents, so it'd say three generations. Okay.

Christopher Luna 5:20

So are you first generation here?

Baldwin Park Roots And Faith

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 5:22

I was actually born in Mexico, and we immigrated to California when I was about a year old. Wow. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, uh, blue-collar workers, uh, not much education, uh, modest means, but a lot of love. And uh that that's my upbringing.

Christopher Luna 5:41

I uh and I'm not sure if we mentioned this before, but I'm in Hacienda Heights, and I just read that you're a pastor in La Puente.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 5:48

That's right. So I grew up in the city of Baldwin Park when I went to college at USC. My parents moved to Hacienda Heights. And when they moved to Hacienda Heights, they found this church in La Puente, and it's been my home church for uh almost 30 years. Wow. And it's been a blessing for me not just to grow up, but to grow up in my faith and now have the great opportunity to serve uh in in this leadership capacity. Um it's just an honor to be able to do that.

Christopher Luna 6:17

I love that. A lot of the leaders that I've interviewed so far always have some strong ties to faith, uh, no matter the religion. And when I did that, we just did a photo shoot for you, and you have um it wasn't a Bible, it was kind of daily prayers.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 6:32

Yeah, it was it was like a devotional uh with excerpts from from scripture with uh you know some thoughts on on how scripture applies.

Christopher Luna 6:42

So you grew up in Baldwin Park, telling me about your high school journey, college, and that that upbringing.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 6:48

Yeah, so Baldwin Park uh was a fun city, and I remember almost every Friday we would go to In N Out Hamburger. It was a little hole in the wall. It was only when I got to USC that uh I discovered how big it had become. And in those days, it was growing throughout the region. Of course, In N Out has blossomed to be a multi-state uh enterprise now. But we would hang out at In N Out and uh hang out at our high school Service, the high school Madonna. And again, just a blue-collar uh uh tight-knit community. And uh that's that's where I grew up. Yeah, remember playing after school with my friends and riding our bikes, uh collecting sports cards. Uh that's how we spent our days. Those fun times.

Christopher Luna 7:37

Are your parents still around?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 7:39

They are. Uh my both my parents are still around. They live in Hacienda Heights. Oh, okay. And uh I see them uh multiple times a week, and I still speak to them in Spanish.

Christopher Luna 7:48

Okay. Yeah, so we gotta hang out then.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 7:50

No, we have to.

Christopher Luna 7:51

We're neighbors. I'm born and raised in Hacienda Heights. I've been trying to get out my whole life, and our roots are so deep. Uh, you know, having my parents there, my in-laws close by, and my brothers are there. There's six of us, but you know, my my other sisters are kind of a little further out. How many are in your family?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 8:05

There's four of us. I have an older brother and uh a younger sister and a younger brother.

Christopher Luna 8:10

Um are they related to the same industry at all, or everyone kind of went to the floor?

First Jobs And Real Leadership

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 8:14

Not at all. So my two brothers are in different uh trades. Uh one's an electrician, uh, one is an iron worker. My sister's in healthcare. And so we all pursue different careers in different fields.

Christopher Luna 8:27

Uh and when you went in college, what did you study or how did that?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 8:31

I was at USC as an undergrad. I uh earned a double uh bachelor's, one in uh business administration and another one in economics, and I decided to stay on for a couple more years. They at the time they had a dual master's program. So I also earned a an MA in economics and a master's in urban planning. Wow.

Christopher Luna 8:50

Did you ever get involved with the Latino Alumni Association there?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 8:53

You know, I did. I I was fortunate enough to um have received scholarships uh from the Latino uh uh association there at USC, and also uh got involved with with some of the clubs down there. And uh I've stayed in touch with some of the friends that I made while I was there. So USC has been a uh just an important part of my uh formation, not just as a student, but um in my career. So proud Trojan.

Christopher Luna 9:21

It's a it's a staple of the community. We just did their gala uh, I believe it was last weekend, and we partnered with them to kind of highlight the the tradition and the history of it. And it's incredible the amount of resources and support that they give the Latino community, and not just Hispanics, but the Latino community in general. Yeah, and uh just understanding that that history that's involved there and so many people I get tied into it. I mean, look at you. You know you manage a whole port.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 9:47

It I'll tell you, Chris, you you are so spot on when you think about the power of investing in the next generation, and the Latino Alumni Association at USC is just a great example of that. Uh a small group of Latino students who came together, I think, in the 1970s, and they convinced the provost at the time to invest and and and and and form this association to help Latinos. And here we are several decades later, and you can see the power and the vision of that decision. So I'm proud to be part of that, and I'm proud of uh that Latino Association continuing on to attract the next generation of students at USC.

Christopher Luna 10:31

Yeah, it's it's incredible. When you sit in that room, you just see the the history and the influence, the impact that it has, and the lives that it's touched, and just knowing you and your background and how you, you know, went to USC and how that I mean I I'm sure they have some list of all the people that were involved and what they've become just being a part of something like that.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 10:51

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's a reminder that no one no one reaches success on their own, right? We all receive help and support by others, and that's just one example of the mentors and the individuals uh that have been instrumental in my own formation and my own leadership journey.

Christopher Luna 11:09

So before we get into how you got this role at the port, um what was what were some of your early careers or your early jobs? Like how did that build you up to what you are now?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 11:22

So growing up, my my stepfather uh had his a small business in the 1980s, and so I would spend most of my summers just helping around uh whatever he needed, uh getting lunch for the workers, sweeping the floors. Um, from time to time, uh they would uh give me more meaningful assignments. Uh, but that's how I learned how to work and the value of hard work. And then when I was in college, I took a number of different part-time jobs. Uh, one time I worked at a warehouse and I was unloading containers during hot summer days, and I learned the value of hard work. And eventually they promoted me to the front office and they put me in charge of the sales team. And that was quite an experience, Chris, because I didn't know anything about management or leadership, but that experience forced me to learn. And uh managing a group of people who were far more experienced and knew much more than I did, and were older than I uh taught me very valuable lessons about what true leadership is. Okay. Because there was nothing I could teach them. But I discovered that uh the business, the management was not providing them the resources or the training that they needed to continue to be successful. And when I became their advocate and I got them the resources and I convinced the management to invest in them and and provide the training, they became success successful. And in the process, I became their leader. And uh that that taught me many valuable lessons about what true leadership is. It's not a title, it's not a position, it's uh it's serving others and finding a way to add value.

Christopher Luna 13:03

You're you're definitely a servant. I mean, serving the public and the community and you're a pastor. Um do you tie yourself into that servant leadership or do you have something that's a little different from what we read in books?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 13:17

Very much so. For me, everything I do is a form of service. Okay. And when you bring that perspective and that attitude to what you do, it it helps people understand where you're coming from. And good leadership comes down to trust, respect, uh compassion. And so a big part of what I do as a leader is make sure I understand uh where those I lead are coming from. Meet them where they are, understand their needs, understand their motivations, and let them know that I'm there for them. I'm there to invest in them, I'm there to help them become successful. It's such a such an important part of the job. And by the way, that's not just for my team, but it's also for customers and stakeholders and the people that I have the pleasure to work with, if they know that you're there to help them and they feel that everything you do is part of your service to them, it it draws them closer to you. It builds trust and respect. And that's a favorite part of my job, really, to connect with people and to really develop relationships that go beyond the transactional.

Christopher Luna 14:28

When you're managing a team like that and you serve them, they want, they they have that loyalty to you. Um, you know, I grew up in a family business and you're talking about unloading containers, but that's how I knew how I learned how to drive. We drove a forklift unloading containers. The only containers I would not unload are dry chilies, those are the worst because those are in sacks. Thankfully, I never did that. And I don't think my mom will let my dad put me in there, but it's it's it's incredible what we learn growing up in a family business like that. And same thing uh from sweeping the floors, but that my dad always taught us that sense of urgency and and to be part of the team. You're not the son, you're an employee, and and I don't think he ever paid me, but I I I would steal candy, I would go in and get a bunch of candy and go sell out of school, so I would make my money. But um, you know, even with the with the family, like we're all employees and we all help the business. And I was I was later on, but we learned so much growing up in a family business, and that taught us how to serve and how to lead. But a lot of people don't understand those dynamics. A lot of people under think that we it's kind of one way in a situation. Employees sometimes feel like they deserve to be there, and sometimes you kind of have to regulate that a little bit where you know there's a lot of people that deserve this position, and it's it's kind of a fine balance too, of not being too strict or too harsh, but also being a servant leader. What are your thoughts on that?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 15:57

Yeah, you know that you're so you're so right. And and I think that's the value of meeting people where they are. I am adjust I find myself adjusting my communication style and my leadership style. Uh, if someone were to ask me, what is your leadership style? If I had to pick one, uh, it would be adaptive. Okay. Because you have to meet people where they are.

unknown 16:19

Okay.

Doubling Port Throughput By 2050

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 16:19

You have to understand their motivations and you have to find a way to connect with them. If you don't connect with someone, it's much harder to get them to do what you need them to do. But if there is a connection and they see how their role and their function connects with something bigger, it excites them. I'll give you an example. Uh coming into my role as CEO at the Port of Long Beach, I cast a bold new vision. Right. We're gonna double our container throughput by 2050. And in the process, we're gonna build the port of the future. Now it's my job to explain that vision and help the team understand how we're gonna get there together and what their role and their part is. And I'm using football uh as the language that is bringing the entire organization along with using things like we're expanding our playbook, we're updating our game plan, we're moving to a hurry-up offense. And you know, Chris, it works. People are energized, they're pumped up, excited about the vision. And so it's an opportunity for me to build a championship culture uh to put our organization in a position where we want more, we want to do more. Because there were three things I wanted to do coming in. One is clarify our vision, two is simplify our mission, and the third thing, which is the most important, is amplify our impact. As a port, we're a major economic engine. Almost three million jobs across the nation depend on the port of Long Beach alone. And if we uh can do more to support our communities, our state economy, our national economy, then we all benefit and we all uh are benefiting.

Christopher Luna 17:56

It's a domino. I mean, you touched so many lives, and I'm sure you know it, but uh I'm not even knowing to which capacity, which degree. Um you know, we we used to import a lot of product internationally, and that's what really got me involved going around the ports and going to all these events and just kind of seeing you and your capacity and what you do for for not just us regionally, but for all of the United States. I mean your product hits so many areas. Um, just uh I was at an OCBC event not too long ago, and you guys had a presence there. Yeah, and being the port of Long Beach, but in Orange County, people don't realize what that means and that infrastructure that goes behind the scenes and going into the inland empire, and you're you you touch so much, right? So a lot of people live off of these ports. So what you do is very meaningful and very impactful, but with your bold vision that you talked about, it's how do you get that buy-in? Because you need to inspire more than anything. And if you don't have your good team that understands and that's willing to take that journey with you, that's right, then it's kind of you know pointless, right?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 19:00

Yeah, no, no one can do everything, everyone can do something. And the idea, and I think this is where leadership comes in, you've you've gotta cast a vision that uh not only aligns people but excites them. And then you have to teach people what their role is to realize that vision. And when someone connects what they do day to day with something bigger and something as bold and exciting as doubling your throughput and creating more jobs, supporting more small businesses like the one that you know your parents have, it it's powerful. It gives us a purpose. It gives us something to look forward to and something that we can get excited about. And I'll tell you what, right now, when you think about what is happening around the globe, uh trade uncertainty, geopolitical instability, we all need something to look forward to. And having a vision that takes us beyond the immediate challenges brings that alignment and gives us something to look forward to.

Christopher Luna 20:04

Well, the port alone in Dubai, right? You know, that's affecting the whole Middle East, and that's I think the size of both of the port complex here as far as what they import. Indeed. So imagine the supply chain disruption there and everyone that's affected. But I think a lot of people, it's like water. People don't really understand unless they have no water, and right we don't understand what it takes to keep that water flowing, that's right, and what it takes to keep the supply chain flowing. I mean, we did get a little taste during COVID, right? Yeah.

Networking That Changed His Career

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 20:30

So I mean I like to say during the supply chain crisis, you know, hit historically ports have been invisible. No one really thought about ports. You would go to the store, buy a product that said made in Vietnam, and you wouldn't think about how that product got here. But the supply chain crisis changed all of that. It put it put a spotlight on ports, goods movement, and all of a sudden ports became important. And I think for that reason, uh the the general public is more aware of how something that happens in the Middle East has a potential to impact the global supply chain. But here in in Southern California, Chris, we continue to demonstrate that we are a safe harbor in the sea of trade and geopolitical uncertainty.

Christopher Luna 21:12

But what what I know um I guess did you know you were gonna stay at the port? Like how how what kept you motivated? What kept you to continue to grow your career there? Because it wasn't how you got the role, if you don't mind me sharing, or if you don't mind sharing um how you got involved at the port in the first place.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 21:31

Yeah, it it's an interesting story, and I'm glad you asked. And this is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about workforce development and ensuring that we create pipelines for our youth to explore careers and goods movement. I was working in the private sector, and my territory was LA and Orange County, and we were trying to get business in the city of Long Beach. So I started attending a lot of Long Beach based events, and one of the events at the time was the state of the port. And so I bought my ticket online, went to the event, checked in, I received my table assignment. But when I went to the table I was assigned to, every seat was taken. So either someone took my seat or there was some kind of mishap. I didn't complain. I didn't ask. I just figured I'll find another chair somewhere else. And at that point, the program was about to start, and the only table that had open seats was the table that was all the way in the end, right next to the exit doors. So I sat down. Lo and behold, the person I ended up sitting next to happened to be the director of human resources for the Port of Long Beach. We were chit-chatting for about 10 minutes. We exchanged business cards. And I did have to excuse myself a little early. So I excused myself. I told her how much I enjoyed meeting her. I left. About a week later, in my office at the company I worked at, I received a job bulletin from the Port of Long Beach.

Christopher Luna 23:03

Through her, or you just thought?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 23:04

Well, at the time I wasn't sure if it was her. I just assumed it was her. But it piqued my interest. I applied, went through the whole process, three interviews, was uh fortunate to be selected. And once I joined the port team, I asked her, was that you? And she said, Yeah, that was me. Oh, wow. And it's an incredible story, right? And again, this is why I like to mentor youth and college students, high school students, the power of networking, the power of first impressions. You never know who you're gonna sit next to. You never know what opportunities may come out of a conversation. And so having the foresight to understand that each of us have a brand. And we're constantly projecting that brand is so important. And this is why at the Port of Long Beach as CEO, I want to amplify our impact. I think we can do more to create that pipeline and expose our youth and students to careers and goods movement.

Christopher Luna 24:07

My whole goal, and I don't think I say it loud enough or I'll uh say it vocally too much about California leaders, but it is the workforce development side. I have nieces and nephews and and people are kind of you know graduating, and they they've they're a little lost. And I always tell them just come out. Don't stay at home applying for all these jobs. You have to be out in the community. You never know who you're gonna meet. You never know who you're gonna sit next to. And it's funny, I always meet the most incredible person walking to the event or walking out of the event. It's that's when you have that little moment to talk. When they they say it's the elevator pitch, right? They're elevator pitch. You're you're in you have that moment to talk to someone, you never understand who you're talking to. And it doesn't matter what you're doing at that time. Even when you're in retail, there's a lot of people who work in retail restaurants, you give them great service. You never know, you know, who who who it is that you're serving. So workforce development is is key, motivating them, but allowing giving them that opportunity to be around leaders like you. So it's incredible, it's an incredible story. I don't think a lot of people understand what it really took for for your interaction to happen and and what that impression that you left on her.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 25:18

You know, and here I am almost 16 years later, right? Have had an incredible career, been tremendously blessed. Almost every two, three years, was given more responsibility and eventually ascended to this role now and just honored and humbled, right? But again, what hasn't changed throughout my career trajectory is the people, right? And honestly, Chris, for me, connecting with people, meeting people, it's not for some interest. I I'm just naturally interested in meeting people. I mean, think about how you and I connected. Uh, you were working for the LA Chamber of Commerce at the time. We saw each other at a few events, but we just clicked. And I was very intrigued by your story and and the the business, your family business, and how you got into uh into trade. And it just piqued my interest. And and and I enjoy learning those stories.

Christopher Luna 26:13

But you're you're an incredible leader in that sense because someone in your capacity wouldn't take the time to speak to someone like me. Um, you guys really, a true leader really wants to support another person. And what really um struck me when one time we were hanging out is you talk about titles, but titles really don't matter. They don't. And uh I think Elon Musk says something like that too. He's like, call me whatever you want. You know, it's not the CEO, it's the people who work behind the CEO that that that make the vision and implement and and really execute on the CEO's vision. So it it's a real it's a team effort, and you talk about football all the time, but you can't do it by yourself.

Building A Championship Culture

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 26:51

No one can. I mean, teamwork makes the dream work. It's a line that I borrow from John Maxwell often. In fact, John Maxwell, who is a renowned leadership expert and author, he writes about the five levels of leadership. And the very first level is position or the title. And he says, and I and I've seen it, I've lived it, when you rely on a title to lead people, you're not going to get very far. And recognizing that, and this is one of the reasons why when I talk to our staff, especially those who are just getting started in their career, is that leadership action precedes leadership title. Uh, to the extent that you can show initiative, show drive, show vision, um, that will help you progress in your careers. I mean, in talking about workforce development, I mean, just yesterday, Chris, um, of all the meetings I had, two phone calls, they were short, but two calls on my schedule were with two college students. One had just graduated from Berkeley, another one is going to be graduating from USC, and they were telling me their story, and I was listening to them, and I was giving them advice, things they should think about, things they should consider. And I I think that we need more people in positions like mine to do that because we don't realize how influential we can be to young students who are just starting a career. And I told them both that look, don't worry about making or or taking the perfect job. Get experience. Find out early in your career what you like and what you don't, because the only way to determine that is by experiencing it, right? And and I talked to them about leadership. If there's one area that every young person should start honing early on, it's your leadership. Invest in yourself. Learn how to be a good leader, learn how to be a great leader, because that's the single most important skill that anyone uh can develop.

Christopher Luna 28:54

Um and I mean, we were talking about championships just a moment ago. And I when we're doing your photo shoot, you have this whole championship belt. Yeah. So how did that come up?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 29:05

So I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but when I was growing up, uh, I was a big wrestling fan.

Christopher Luna 29:10

WWF. Yes.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 29:12

My brother and I, when it was known as WWF, my brother and I would would would spend Saturdays uh and even at that at that time they had Saturday night main event, and we used to watch wrestling. And so it was something that just I guess it never never left me. But to me, it's important as a leader to reward to reward uh teams when they when they go above and beyond. And that port championship belt is a small way to reward our teams. And in fact, I'll tell you what, I I just awarded it to one of our teams, and I can't tell you what an impact it's had, not just on that team, but across the organization. I've had people come to me, Chris, and say, I'm gonna win that belt next. I'm gonna earn the right to hold that belt. But beyond that, it it's you you you you you mentioned this earlier, it's all about teamwork. And one of the reasons why I am employing football metaphors is I want everyone across the organization to understand that we're all part of the same team. No matter what department, what bureau, what division you work in, we're all part of team Portalombeach. And what I love about football is it really is the ultimate team sport. If you think about it, it takes 11 people to move the ball forward. And each one has to execute their role, their assignment to a team. Um earlier this week, I took our leadership team out. We spent a day in our retreat and um walked them through our vision. We game planned about what that means and how to incorporate it. And I invited a guest to join us, and and the entire day was all about um building a championship culture. And we were fortunate to have with us former Long Beach Poly football standout, former USC All-Star, three-time Super Bowl champion, Willie McGuinness. And I led a fireside chat with Willie, and he was so inspirational. Here's a guy who grew up in the inner city, one of many children, and he ended up going to USC. He ended up being drafted number four overall by the New England Patriots. And when Bill Belichick took over the team, he brought in this championship culture. And Willie spent 12 seasons there. Uh, we all left, we all came away from that experience, Chris, just feeling energized, empowered. And then after we were done with that, I took him to SoFi Stadium and we spent a couple hours walking through the field, the locker rooms, and we could all feel that energy, right? But again, that's leadership. It's how do you connect, how do you help people connect to a vision that's bigger than yourself?

Christopher Luna 31:59

Yeah, I'm I'm surprised you didn't take them to Allegiant Stadium. Who be next? Uh communes a little longer pending to the Raider fans I know and some people I know there at the organization. I'm gonna have to send them the video and be like, let's go.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 32:14

Raider Nation, baby.

Imposter Syndrome And Purpose

Christopher Luna 32:15

But yeah, I mean, I play I played football one year and I I it was in high school. I hated it. I I I just wanted to get out and go to work. Uh right when I turned 16, I got my license and I got my first job at State Form Insurance, and I've just been working ever since. But I I see the benefit, obviously. I mean, with my kids, we're we're a lot we're different. Um, but the way you lead is incredible, but you're making it sound so easy. And I know it's not. What are some of those difficulties that you experienced growing up or in your in your in your path of of growing in your role or your capacities that made it difficult? Or you just wanted to give up or you just wanted to walk away. Well, I mean, I'm sure you experienced some hardships and and in your career growth.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 33:04

Certainly. I mean, when I got to USC, Chris, I was the first person in my entire family ever to go to college. The day my parents dropped me off, my my mom was was crying because her baby was going to be leaving the house for the first time. My stepdad put his hand in his pocket. He took out a he pulled out a $50 bill. And he said, son, in Spanish, he said, Mijo, this is this is all I got for the whole week. And so you can imagine, you know, 18 years old in this new environment, surrounded by a new world, a different world, and thinking, how am I going to navigate all this? And so early on, even though I had the support of my family and I was just an excellent student, I was fortunate enough to have received a full ride. But a lot of intimidation, uh, certainly imposter syndrome. I mean, do I do I belong here? Is this really for me? And so early on, I had to confront all those challenges. And that's where my faith came in. Um my faith grounds me, it keeps me humble, it reminds me that I'm here to serve a purpose. And if I'm anywhere, whether it's this position or wherever I go, I'm there for a reason. Um and that has helped me tremendously. And and and yeah, you're right. Leadership's not easy, Chris. It's not easy, but when you remember that you're serving a purpose, you're not doing it for yourself, you're not doing it for uh to score points or for status, you're doing there to serve a purpose, you're doing there to serve to serve other people, it gives you this courage. It gives you this sense of responsibility that just drives you.

Christopher Luna 34:57

Uh my brother-in-law was telling me we're having a talk, and he's like, you know, I'm just a passenger because I'm not the driver. I do what I'm told and I do, I I everything happens for a reason. That's right. And we're here to serve. Um, and a lot of times, I mean, I grew up and I probably I still do it. Like you want to be in the controller, in the control seat, you want to drive. Um, but a lot of times things you just have to kind of give up in a sense and just say, I'm gonna do where where my path takes me.

Narrator 1 35:25

Yeah.

Christopher Luna 35:26

Um, and that's gonna support, but a lot of times it's difficult to do that and to to to just release yourself that way. But with with you, you have to have some type of um not drive, but a lot of times when you're when you're going through the motions of growing in an organization like the poor, what kept you there so long? Because you could have gone anywhere. You could you could you could do this anywhere else, right? So what kept you there other than the supply chain side? Because there there has to be more to the product.

Leading Through Supply Chain Crises

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 36:03

Yeah, I mean it's a great question, right? Because 15 years going on 16 years is a long time, especially these days. I would say what kept me there were the people, the team, the mission, having uh the opportunity to influence not just a major economic engine like the Port of Lawn Beach, but being at the intersection of government, business, uh global trade, incredible opportunity. And while I've been there, I've been fortunate enough to be put in positions where I could really make a difference. I mean, Chris, in the time that I've been at the Port of Lawn Beach, we have weathered so many storms. We went through the single largest shipping line bankruptcy in history that impacted our largest terminal. I had to go find someone to take over a lease for our big $100 million a year lease. That's how much in revenue that represented to the port. And then when one of our other terminal assets, uh at the time the federal government mandated it required its sale, had to go through that proceeding. Working with the seller, working with potential bidders, uh, working with banks. I mean, the most complex transaction. And at the time, that was a 40-year lease. And then, of course, the the the pinnacle of all that was a supply chain crisis when the entire supply chain was brought to a screeching halt in LA Long, but you know this well because you were there. 109 ships at anchor. And I remember people asking me, Well, Noel, what's normal? And I say, Zero. We were 109 ships above normal. Talk about a crisis. But you know what I learned about that? Talking about leadership. That's those are the moments that make leaders, those are the moments that reveal leaders because there was no playbook. No one had ever gone through anything like this before. And yet, our port stayed open. We never closed a single shift. We made 100 acres of vacant land available to provide relief. We opened a terminal 24 hours a day for the first time in history. Uh, we did a lot of things that had never been done before. And that's the reason I think that last year we set an all-time record with no congestion, no backlogs, no delays. It turns out that the supply chain crisis uh built the resilience muscle in all of us. And last year we flexed that resilience muscle.

Legacy As Family And Priorities

Christopher Luna 38:34

Yeah, and hopefully we never have to go through anything like that again. Amen. Um so how do you carry this legacy forward? I mean, I feel like you made it. What's next? I I know it's a time from now, right? But when you get to that pinnacle and you get to a role like yours where you've you've done so much, um, I know you have so much more to give there, but there has to be something that's gonna continue the drive. Do you want more? Or is it like I've I've never been in your position and in such a high capacity, so I don't understand once you're there, a lot of people think, okay, you just retire afterwards with age. But you're so young, you're so driven, and you have such a legacy. Like, what do you see yourself growing old?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 39:27

You know, it's it's interesting. I I really don't think about it in that way, and it's interesting that you asked that question because you're right, every day we are writing our legacy. And and maybe it's because I live one day at a time that it helps me not feel the burden of that. To me, what what drives me and and what the reason I wake up every morning excited is that I have an incredible team with this amazing bold vision that we're gonna go realize together, right? That's what excites me. It's it's it's it's investing in our team so that we can fulfill this incredible vision. And along the way, Chris, a lot of things can happen. And that's a beautiful thing about it, right? You you don't think about it. But beyond my professional life, the legacy I care most deeply about is my family. You know, my job job number one for me is to be the best husband that I can to my wife so that she and I can be the best parents that we can for our daughters. And if I can do that and put our daughters uh on a path to be everything that they were meant to be, I would be happy with that. Everything else, including what I do in my career, what we do at the port together, that's all icing on the cake.

Christopher Luna 40:53

Uh I remember being in your office and you have your mug of your daughters there. And um, I think that grounds us.

unknown 41:01

Yeah.

Christopher Luna 41:02

Because sometimes in a role like yours, I can only imagine the the need it is to have your attention at a at a port this size, right? So you're getting pulled from so many different angles. It's not easy getting you to sit here for an hour, right? There's so many things that that you're you need it you're needed at. Um, but I feel like our kids need us as well. Yeah. So how do you balance that right now in your new role?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 41:28

It's it's hard. And and I've I've found that the older I get and the more responsibility I get, the harder it gets, right? Um, but I think the way that I've been able to do it so far is is you you need to have a clear sense of what your priorities are. When you have a clear sense of what's what you value and what's most important to you, it makes this decision making about your calendar and what you say yes to a lot easier. And you're right. Uh time management, calendar management gets a little trickier. You have a lot of competing uh meetings and competing um priorities, but this is where having a clear sense of priorities, having a set of values that drive you, it just makes that easier. So for me, for example, uh as a general rule, I don't like to miss events with my daughters that only happen once in their life, graduations, uh, special performances, special milestones. Um I can't make every event. Um but prioritizing those milestones in their lives, those events that only happen once is important. Um and sometimes it's not just quantity, it's more about the quality and and and and the moments you share with them. For example, I have the the great blessing of being able to drop off my eldest daughter at school almost every day, not every day, but almost every morning. And those precious minutes are so important.

Christopher Luna 43:05

I I had I took a roll once and um I wasn't able to see them. I would leave at five in the morning and I would get back at nine at night at night. Wow. So they're asleep by 8:30. So I wasn't seeing them in the morning or at night. And I would go days like this. I'm like, oh my god, this is so hard because at least I get to see them that in the morning just dropping off at school because um just being able to have breakfast with them and get them get them out, even though my wife does all the work. But I I I drive them to school. Um and actually talking about my son, my son drew a container ship, a vessel with containers on it for you, and I completely forget to bring it. Yeah, he loves it. He he is he is such a he's he loves construction infrastructure. And when I was somehow I was interviewing you, I don't know, he he just brought it home one day. He's like, Oh, here, so you can give it to him. I owe it to you. I would love to see it. But it do you incorporate them in what you do? I mean, do they in Yeah, they're they're even more supportive.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 44:06

So how do you how do you you know it's an interesting question when they were younger and we had events at the port, like either events at parks, harbor tours for employees, I would bring them. And I I thought it was important for them to to know that other side of their dad, right? What what dad does during the day. Um, but as they've gotten older, they've gotten busier, right? They have their activities, they have their schoolwork, they have their social life. Um, and and honestly, when I'm home, I I want to be dad, right? When I'm home, I I want them to see me as their father, not the port CEO or you know. And it is a balance, right? Because you're right. On the one hand, you want to know what you do so that they understand why you're spending so much of your precious time outside the house or or or you know, what you do at work. But when I'm home, I want to be dad. I I'm the same guy who takes out the trash every Tuesday. I'm the same guy who uh check, you know, brings in the mail from the mailbox and and who helps them with their homework. That's who I want to be when I'm home.

Christopher Luna 45:10

Um I like that. It's uh it's definitely a reminder to me, to be honest, because I forget sometimes.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 45:16

And it's not easy. I I I need the that reminder as well.

Christopher Luna 45:18

You know, even when I'm at home, if I'm on my phone or doing something else. But like you said, it's quality. You want to make sure you're spending that moment with them. So what if I was going through the motions right now and building my career? Um, like I said, you've done something that's incredible. When you're COO, did you I have to assume you didn't you didn't know you're gonna be CEO. I mean, Marlowe didn't did he tell you like in a while you're gonna be CEO and did he did he help with that process? Or at what moment did you really understand that this was a potential?

From COO To CEO

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 45:56

You know, when when um because the organization went through a series of lead of organizational transitions where you had different variations of the organizational structure. And when I was given the opportunity to serve as COO, um, you know, my predecessor Mario was an incredible leader and mentor, and he gave me the time and space to learn, to grow, and spread my wings. So I will always be grateful to him for that. And so when I was COO, it gave me an opportunity to put all my leadership skills to use. I mean, I was I was uh responsible for the day-to-day operations of the entire organization, and that was an incredible opportunity for me to really connect with people um on a different level. And so when when Mario announced his retirement, um, you know, it it was a decision for our board of harbor commissioners to make. And I felt at the time that I was in a great position to continue contributing to the organization um in a new role. And I was very fortunate and feel very honored and humbled that the board decided to give me that opportunity. And um, from January 1st to the present day, Chris hit the ground running, haven't stopped, cast a new vision, uh, took the vision of Davos, uh, been building a championship culture.

Davos And Representing US Ports

Christopher Luna 47:20

I was gonna ask you about that. Uh, and I'm sorry to cut you off, but what you mentioned, Davos. When you you represent not just Long Beach, you represent a lot of us in the United States. You represent the nation when you speak. So when you're in Davos speaking, do you have any sense of weight on your shoulders? Like how how do you manage or how do you feel when you speak on our behalf? Like I I get nervous just talking to you right now. You know, I can't imagine, you know.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 47:51

I and again, I I I I I I think this is where your perspective is so important, right? When you see what you do as serving a purpose that's greater than yourself, it gives you that confidence, right? Um, I get nervous too. I mean, I tell young people all the time who say, Hey, do you have any advice? Because you know, I, you know, I'm about to give a presentation or a speech, and I get a little nervous. I tell them it's okay. It just means you're human. If you didn't get nervous, there'd be something wrong. So the story about that was interesting. I had been appointed CEO and I received an invitation to go to the World Uh Economic Forum uh annual meeting.

unknown 48:31

Uh-huh.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 48:32

And I didn't know at the time, Chris, that uh I would be the only U.S. port CEO there. Uh I didn't know at the time that President Trump would be there and that he would bring the largest U.S. delegation. So, in a way, my participation, you're right, I wasn't just carrying the Port of Long Beach flag, but I was representing all of California's ports as the president of the California Association of Port Authorities. But also I was representing the U.S. port uh perspective and voice. And I'll tell you what, I'm so glad I was there because uh the people who were there were uh genuinely uh curious and interested to hear our perspective. And it was a valuable opportunity to engage with global leaders from literally across the world, corporate CEOs, uh heads of state, ministers of uh transportation, finance, economy. And I was able to share our vision and uh also talk to them about how to make our supply chains more resilient. And I'll tell you what, it wasn't until uh I was coming back from Davos that it hit me. And I said, what an incredible honor and opportunity. And I reflected on my own journey the day that my parents dropped me off at USC and how my stepdad said, here's fifty dollars, this is all I have for the whole week. It just hit me. And while I was there, thankfully, it was either the jet lag or what it was, but I I got through, I ended up sitting on six different panels uh with global leaders, like the who's who, and also in sessions listening to heads of state, uh the CEOs of NVIDIA, Microsoft, I mean, just the who's who just an incredible opportunity, and um we'll forever be grateful for that uh that honor.

Christopher Luna 50:31

Uh it's it's incredible what you what you've become. But like I said, when I'm an outsider, and when I met you, even at COO, you've you have always been that person. Um so for me to have time with you and that support and that trust is really meaningful, Noelle. Like I'm telling you right now that I really appreciate the trust that you've put into me in this platform. Um, because it someone like you, you don't need to do that. You really don't, you know, there's there's no need to be here, but I want to tell these stories. I we need to tell these stories because there is a gap. A lot of people don't understand what it takes to be someone like you. And we need to motivate because a lot of people have, you know, we we have our YouTubes and and Instagrams and we see all these motivational speakers, but to me, though those are celebrities, and a lot of times it's it's it's it's unnecessary the way they present themselves. Uh, I don't want to speak for all of them, but we have such strong leaders near us that have incredible stories, and your story is so inspiring. So I I really do hope that people, and they do, but they see that journey that you have and that inspiration that you give in going to USC. I mean, I know USC students are homeless, they're sleeping in their cars right now. You know, they don't have money to even fly back home during the holidays when school's done. So you you're you you're you're making it sound very light, but it's not.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 52:04

Yeah, no, I I really appreciate that, Chris. And again, uh I commend you for your vision. I think what you're doing is exactly what we need. And and and the more and and and the more we talk about leadership, what it is, and how important it is for uh for our state and for our communities, uh the better we will be in the future. I mean, uh to me, uh the reason I support efforts like yours is because I want people to know that they can come from the same modest upbringing that I did. And if they work hard and they invest in themselves and they put the effort, they can they can go far. That's why I like to tell the story because I came from nothing, Chris. I was a I was an immigrant in a Spanish-speaking home. Blue-collar workers went through cycles of poverty. And my faith, my family, and a lot of hard work is what got me here. And a lot of mentors, a lot of people who took me under their wings, who gave me a shot, gave me the opportunity, and that's why I'm here.

Christopher Luna 53:16

Um and you continue to pay it forward.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 53:19

We have to, absolutely.

A Resilient Mindset To Start Today

Christopher Luna 53:21

Well, thank thank you so much again for your time. I I really do appreciate it. Everything you do for for all of us, not not just not just for me, but for really for the community, and and I'm excited to see everything that you do for the poor and for our community. I think, like I said, you we have such a great representative uh from you and and you do a lot. So I really do appreciate your time.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 53:44

Appreciate that. My my pleasure. Thank you.

Christopher Luna 53:46

Is there before we go, is there any last thing that that you feel that I didn't that I need to capture here? Something that's gonna really um, is there a book or something that's really gonna like an action item? Like, you know, some if you if if if an audience member right now is going through a hard time or they're going through school or something, what's something that they can do tomorrow that's gonna change their trajectory?

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 54:13

You know, leadership is a mindset, and having a resilient mindset is so important, especially in this time that we're living. Here's what I would offer. Remember that today, today is the first day of the rest of your life. What happened yesterday, what happened last month, last year doesn't matter. What matters is what you do today. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Don't give up. Have hope. Start where you are and invest in a brighter tomorrow.

Christopher Luna 54:48

We're gonna end right there. Thank you so much.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba 54:50

My pleasure, thanks for having me.

Narrator 1 54:52

Thank you. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the California Leaders Podcast, hosted by Christopher Luna. We hope you find our conversation as inspiring as we did. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback can help us bring more of the content you love. And be sure to follow us on social media for updates, behind the scenes content, and to join the conversation. Until next time, keep leaving, keep innovating, and keep making a difference.