Gene Seroka - Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles is one of those places most of us only notice when something goes wrong, yet it quietly touches nearly everything we buy, build, or ship. I sat down with Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, to get past the headlines and into the real work of leadership inside the busiest container port in North America, where global trade, local community impact, and public accountability collide every day. 

Gene shares the personal story behind his leadership style, from growing up in New Orleans with working-class and union roots to spending years overseas in shipping and global logistics. We talk about what surprised him when he took the port job, how he navigates stakeholders across city government, state and federal partners, and neighborhood voices, and why he values a team that will challenge him instead of a “yes factory.” 

We also dig into the future of the supply chain: cleaner fuels, the push toward zero-emission cargo handling equipment and trucks, and how sustainability ties directly to public health near the harbor. Gene lays out an ambitious workforce development vision too, including plans for a first-of-its-kind training campus that looks like a real port terminal so people can learn safely and build careers in goods movement, technology, and equipment maintenance. 

If you care about California jobs, trade policy, the future of shipping, or simply becoming a better leader, you’ll walk away with practical lessons, including Gene’s straightforward framework: be visible, be mobile, and be durable. Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Overview

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 insides 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 Eugene D. Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. Eugene Seroka is the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America. As Executive Director, Seroka interacts with a wide range of stakeholders, including port customers around the globe, industry partners, elected and appointed officials at all levels, business leaders, community organizations, and local residents. A respected global trade expert, Seroka has advocated for rules-based trade agreements that benefit American exporters and manufacturers. Seroka holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of New Orleans and has distinguished himself as a leader throughout his illustrious career in shipping, global logistics, and executive management. Seroka oversome of the port's launch of the first of its kind digital information portal, port optimizer, and has championed for ports around the world to share critical supply chain data and analytics. He's leading the port's efforts to reach ambitious goals for zero-emission cargo handling equipment and heavy-duty trucks over the next decade. He's also overseeing the port's international green and digital shipping corridor partnerships with China, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. In 2024, the Los Angeles Times profiled Sir Rokum as part of its LA Influential Series, a collection of the city's top leaders. In 2023, he received the esteemed Stanley T. Olifson Award from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, recognizing his work in the world trade industry and leadership of the nation's busiest container port. Also, in 2023, the Asian American Architects slash Engineering Association honored him with its president award. Please welcome Gene Seroka.

Christopher Luna 2:25

Welcome to California leaders. Today I have an incredible guest, Mr. Gene Seroka from the Port of Los Angeles. Thank you so much for being here today. Thanks, Christopher. Great to see you. You are a personal idol of mine. I the moment I met you, I really look up to you and your leadership and your capacity and what you do and what you mean for our not only our region, but for us globally. You are on Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, on the news almost every week, if not every day. And I really appreciate the time that it took for you to be here with me today. It's my pleasure. Thank you. When I met you, um, or even when I read about you, you represent such a global impact in industry. But there's a lot of it's very difficult to find things about you personally. And I want to take a step back from those headlines and that journey and what you represent being the executive director for the port and really just ask who are you? Um I'm sure there's bits and pieces out there, but I would love to start with just what was your upbringing? Um, I would love to learn how that influenced your leadership today.

Gene Seroka 3:37

Who

Family Roots And Early Values

Gene Seroka 3:38

am I? I'm just my mother's son. Uh my mom and dad both worked for American Airlines. My dad was in sales and marketing and operations. My mom was a flight attendant, and she was one of the first and few that helped organize the flight attendants union in the early 1960s at American Airlines. Before then, if you were married, if you were expecting a child, if you had anything else going on, you couldn't work. And I think the uh the efforts that those ladies put in at that point in time really changed the face of the airline industry, if not transportation. So you kind of get the feeling that working for the people that we do today in the city of Los Angeles, and as you mentioned, uh the folks that we serve, our community, the import and export community, and so many others, uh, you really you you call back to those days and and you really continue to stay on mission. My mother's father, my grandfather on on her side of the family, was a truck driver and a proud member of the Teamsters. He worked for American Can Company. So this is a guy who went to work every day in an iconic union and was able to buy a house, raise three girls, and just, you know, another really good story. My grandfather on the other side worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania. His wife, my grandma, was a seamstress. So we came from pretty humble beginnings, and they uh they all migrated over to the U.S. And so you try to keep yourself in that frame of mind while you're doing things that really have an impact on so many people. In our family, I have a younger brother and a younger sister. My brother is a uh basketball coach at an HBCU, Texas Southern, and my sister is a recently retired school teacher of English and Spanish in the Midwest. So it was uh it was a tremendous upbringing. And being an airline kid, we got to travel a little bit and see different places. And we always thought that if you were different from us, we could probably learn from you. Same thing with sports. We were playing with the Garcias and the Jacksons and the Spinolis and kids from all different backgrounds, you know, and growing up watching baseball on TV and seeing the influence that, of course, the Latin America ball players had and so many others really kind of set the stage that you got hungry for international life. And I was so fortunate to be able to join this supply chain industry, which has such a broad meaning, an important one across the world.

From Global Shipping To LA

Christopher Luna 6:06

Now, growing up, you didn't grow up in Los Angeles.

Gene Seroka 6:09

No, I grew up in New Orleans.

Christopher Luna 6:10

And how how many years were you in New Orleans?

Gene Seroka 6:12

Uh, I was there probably about 13 years. So I went to high school, undergraduate, and graduate school in New Orleans. And it it really left an indelible impression on me. Great people, the food's unbelievable, the music is wonderful, and it's a tourism city. So here again, you're seeing people from all walks of life, all different places, and it really gave you that sense of what it means to be a global citizen.

Christopher Luna 6:35

And is your family back home or are they all in life?

Gene Seroka 6:37

Everybody's all over the place now. My mom and dad have since passed away, but they lived long and good lives. And uh, you know, it's been interesting because I've moved, I think, 13 times in my career. I spent about 11 years in Asia in the Middle East. I've been in LA now about 12 years, and this is home. It really is an exciting place to be. And and what brought you to Los Angeles? The port job. So I was with a uh shipping company, American President Lines, for a long time, including my stint overseas. And we were bringing a brand new vessel into Los Angeles to be christened. And that's a very traditional way of welcoming that first ship sailing. And it was the APL Savannah. It was a really big ship at the time, like 9,000 containers. It's about the third of the size of the big ones today. But this was important, and this was dating back to year 2013. And I had the privilege of meeting the brand new mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, who we asked to MC this christening ceremony. And it was a big deal with red carpets and oh, so much other pomp and circumstance. And Jeannie Lavers from Cole's department stores was going to be the godmother of that vessel. And she literally got to crack the champagne on the ship's bow and all that. And just as timing would have it, and it's not luck, it's a combination of preparation and opportunity where you meet at that intersection. Having met the mayor, I learned that this job was open as the port director. And so I applied, I went through the interview process and all that, and I was so fortunate to be selected. And this is back in 2014.

Christopher Luna 8:15

And uh Eric Garcetti actually, I sent him a request to appear to speak on behalf of our cover leaders because there's some tie-in to all of that. And actually, I was fortunate enough to go to a christening of the Mayor's uh vessel, hydrogen vessel, and that was humongous. It was incredible to see that up in person. Um, and and I can come, you know, just to be able to experience something like that, the red carpets and all, is incredible.

Gene Seroka 8:39

Yeah, it really is. And that MERS vessel, the MERS Galeta, was the first zero emission vessel ever to sail across the Pacific Ocean and the first one ever to call in the United States. So that was a really special day. It sailed on e-methanol. I mean, I can geek out on all that kind of stuff, but it was the first ever zero pollution ship in real industrial setting, sailing 16 days across the Pacific, and they decided to call Los Angeles home that day. We were all so proud.

Christopher Luna 9:08

And what does environmental teach you right now about what you do and the responsibility? Because that that was a, I mean, seeing that vessel being fully hydrogen, I think it's both, right? It's they can kind of uh hybrid. Yeah, they got two fuel tanks now, right?

Gene Seroka 9:24

The newer vessels. So you can use the traditional bunker fuel that that's been in the industry forever. And the second tank can use synthetic or renewable fuels, and you could switch between them. So the last thing you want to do is have the crew stranded in the middle of the Pacific if the fuel doesn't work, but at the same time, it gives them confidence that we could do some experimentation here on these new types of energy products and not run the risk of anything, uh anything slowing down the ship or the crew.

Learning The Job’s Hidden Layers

Christopher Luna 9:51

So when he took this role, is it what you expected it to be, or how how did you transition to manage such a huge economy just within the port itself?

Gene Seroka 10:01

You know, I thought I I thought I knew a lot about the industry, but I was not prepared for this job. There's so many different layers to it. And it was because of Eric Garcetti that I got coached up really quick. And it was very interesting to me. He asked, just run the business of the port, get this place humming again, and I'll take care of the politics and the policy and all that kind of work. So I was, you know, I spent as much time with uh Mayor Garcetti, Anna Guerrero, Kelly Bernard as I possibly could just to learn from them. How you navigate the city's architecture, how you work with the city council, equally as important. How you work with the federal and state government, because they're such important partners to us as well, and then how you interact with the community. And the community also has a number of layers from small to big business to folks that are faith leaders, people that just are really well known in town that have a way to amplify the message of a broader constituency. You know, so it's been really exciting to learn. There were days when I was, you know, a little nervous about how you get things done because you have to work with so many different people, and there's a lot to it, but it has been a tremendous learning experience. The best decision I ever made was to apply for this job. And I still feel like I'm learning every day. I think that every meeting can be a better one. Uh, the next interview is gonna be even sharper. It's just one of those situations where it's this aspect that I picked up at the University of New Orleans, where some of our professors told us right away it's like, if you do this properly, it's gonna be lifelong learning. And you're always gonna feel like you can you can read something new, you can observe something, you can interact with people, and you're gonna be a little bit smarter every day for the people you've come in contact with. And that was prophetic.

Christopher Luna 11:56

And and you manage how many people work for the actual port, not for the terminals, but the actual port.

Gene Seroka 12:03

Yeah, so I'm a city of Los Angeles employee. I report directly to Mayor Karen Bass, and we've got a five-member Board of Harbor Commissioners appointed by the mayor, approved by city council. Lucille Roybel Allard, a recently retired 30-year member of U.S. Congress and a former assemblywoman, is our board president, and she has been just our North Star. What a pleasant individual to work with, great guidance and advice, and a good person with a tremendous sense of humor. At the port itself, we have 920 employees, and they range from public safety and police officers to engineers and naval architects to the folks who keep all those green spaces and parks clean and looking good every day, and a bunch of folks that also have great, great knowledge about public policy and how to shape legislation, how to interact with elected officials and other appointeds across a variety of important agencies that work with us. So it's it too is a story in and of itself of just some great institutional knowledge, a lot of legacy employees whose moms and dads or aunts and uncles have worked at the harbor, and about 70% of us live in that harbor district, whether it's San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway. So it's really a hometown business for a lot of us.

Christopher Luna 13:25

And you really don't, I mean, I'm sure you, I'm sure you do, but you don't understand or people don't understand the impact and the full circle of things and how many lives it touched. I mean, something close to me, my cousin works there, and I think we just recently found out when we're at an event together. Um, but it's it's really being part of the community. I a lot of my family's from San Pedro and from Wilmington. I grew up, I don't want to say I grew up there, but I was there quite often. And you guys are so a part of the community and do so much for the community, green space and all. Um, and I think you really understand how to integrate them with the port and what it means to not just the region, but to the United States, I mean, in general. Yeah.

Gene Seroka 14:09

Somebody put it to me this way once that every decision we make down there at the port of Los Angeles impacts somewhat. And that's just how vast this port and its tentacles reach. So the cargo itself not only reaches all 50 states, but all 435 congressional districts. So we've got a platform to talk about what's in the best interest of the U.S. economy right in the beginning of the discussion. In the local level, at the community, 10% of our operating income. And think about if you're a private sector company at the Ibita level, 10% goes directly to public access investment projects to bring people closer to that waterfront retail, dining, entertainment, green spaces. And 10% is also matched with in-kind funding to keep up all those places, right? You got to make sure they're in a, you know, the the grass is cut, you got to make sure there's paint on the walls and everything looks really good. Over the last 20 years, this port of Los Angeles has invested over one billion US dollars in waterfront projects for the community and our visitors, and anybody who wants to get close and watch this industrial theater that the port shows every day.

Christopher Luna 15:22

But that's an incredible amount of responsibility on you personally. You manage such an important complex. How do you feel? Like how I I can I can't even imagine. I managed 50 employees, and that payroll alone was a sense of responsibility because so many people rely on that. And and lawsuits and everything that goes along with owning a business, I can't imagine that weight or that responsibility that you carry for all of us.

Gene Seroka 15:52

Yeah, going back to an old adage, right? If it's work, it's work. But if you love what you do, it doesn't feel like it, right? And I just feel like I've been so fortunate along the line to work with great people, and that's what makes the place hum. You know, most of us have been together since I started 12 years ago. And we've had one person in the core team of call it 20 leave the Harbor Department, and that was Tony Giuello, who retired after 43 years after starting as a student worker and rising to the head of our development bureau. Everybody else is stuck together. And we've brought in new talented people like an Aveen Sharma and some others. Crystal, your cousin, got promoted to work in the government affairs uh division, and she's doing just such a great job. You know, so it's it's skip it up because if you don't, he's a commune. And she was in our customer service bureau before, which we call Wharfingers. It's a special group of folks. And you can understand it. Wharf, you're doing the work, and you're part of this entire passenger group that we cater to. And these are folks that really do the outreach every day, talking to our tenants and our customers. So she's got that interaction with people that now carries over to what we do in the government affairs section. And that's a relationship-based business, too. So it's pretty fun to watch. But all of these folks have a real sense of purpose. As I mentioned earlier, the knowledge base and the historical ideas that these guys can bring forward to modernize is something really special. It's the greatest organization I've ever worked with. So the responsibility is there. You know where the buck stops, as they say, but I sure wouldn't be where we're at today if it were not for this group of 920 and the leadership at the bureau and division level that we

Pressure Moments And Trusted Advisors

Gene Seroka 17:39

have.

Christopher Luna 17:39

But I I'm just trying to picture you. I mean, you've gone through emergencies just recently with the fire and one of the vessels. But with me, I know who I call. I call my mom when I have issues. And when I had the family business, it was her business that I carried, and I would say, Mom, this and this is happening. And she goes, There's always gonna be problems. There's you know, you'll get through it and she'll kind of guide me through that. I mean, I'm assuming you can't call, or you can, but would you call Mary Pat? Like, who do you call? When when who do you consult with with different issues? Because you're not gonna go to your board for everything, but who it's it's situational.

Gene Seroka 18:19

And you know, we prepare a lot in in the public environment. It's all about transparency and openness, and we got nothing to hide. We're all trying to do our level best every day. You'll get questioned every now and then, and people try to make us better, and that's good too. But depending on the issue, there's there are always people that you can count on, right? Um, when it comes to all this work that we've been doing around the media to make sure that we get the ground truth out on what's happening in the supply chain, what impacts there are, like the war in Iran right now and the price of oil. I rely heavily on Philip Sandfield and Chelsea Boyd. You know, and these guys are also part of a group that we never wanted to create a yes factory, right? This was supposed to be collaboration. I knew that when tough decisions needed to be made, I was supposed to make them. And when responsibility came back, it was on my shoulders. But you got a group of people that have no problem coaching me up or providing situational awareness or critiquing work that we've done. And man, I really appreciate that. I was going to a fairly tough meeting today, downtown LA for lunch with somebody who wasn't gonna be really happy with me. And I picked up the phone and I called Dina Arian Zalen, who heads up our development, and that's all the people who design, build, and deliver these big infrastructure projects. And Dina, like always, was just really matter-of-fact. Okay, here's the situation, here's how we looked at it, and now tell me what your message is gonna be. So I gave it a dry run with Dina. She's like, that's good. Leave the details for the experts, but if you can deliver that message, I think we've got a chance to keep going forward with this company. And she was right. Yeah. So it's people like that that you you kind of rely on and and you move around in the same circles, but you want to put a different lens on a situation. You can't do everything yourself. And that's probably the first thing I realized in this job because of all the stakeholder groups, so many people that you interact with. You walk down the street in San Pedro to Rafaela's for lunch, you're gonna bump into three people that know what you do and how you're doing it. You know, so you just got to be prepared. And the preparedness comes from having a really tight-knit team. And I'm very proud to say that we do.

Lessons From His Father’s Legacy

Christopher Luna 20:31

And where do you take your cues and leadership? I mean, do you have a mentor or do you have a philosophy? Do you read like how how do we pick up on your leadership style? If I'm an emerging leader right now, going to college and they see Gene Soroka on on CNN and Bloomberg and all these things. Like, how do we pick up on that?

Gene Seroka 20:54

Yeah, I I think that I look at a couple things today, and again, that that concept of lifelong learning for me is real. I I read a lot, I subscribe to a lot of newspapers, I follow the business news, the general political, et cetera, as closely as I can every single day, and just try to make sure of what's going on with current events. But from a leadership perspective, I I watched my dad. You know, he was a businessman, he went to work in a suit and a tie every day. Uh, he was in charge of a lot of business at American Airlines, and I saw the way he interacted with people. And here's here's a really unique story. I was in New Orleans two weeks ago to go back to my university. Um they now asked me to be on their alumni board. And I was, I mean, I was really, really pleased with that and and surprised at the same time. But I wanted to make a trip back to campus and meet with the people I'm working with. You got full time staff there, Narrilly uh uh and some of the others. And I wanted to get to know them a little bit, and then part of this was to go speak to uh One of the MBA classes in the evening and just share a little bit about who we are at the port, but more importantly, that I was one of them. And I wanted to share a little bit what life was like after I graduated from uh from the university. And it was just it was a nostalgic trip. Uh, I walked through the library where I spent so many years studying, and this is, you know, way before the internet and all that kind of important advancement we've made, and it brought back just such great memories. So I had a really early flight the next morning, and we're in the middle of this um back and forth budget issue with the Department of Homeland Security, um, the Transportation Safety Agency, and all the folks that work with us at the airport to go through security. So I get there really early, hoping for the best, and it worked out great. Those folks were doing a tremendous job. But I get to the gate and I'm boarding the airplane, and you know how you click your boarding pass now, right? With the infrared. And I'm walking, and the lady says, Thank you, Mr. Soroka. And I said, Oh, thanks, have a nice day. And she says, Are you from here? And she asks. And I said, No, I I grew up here though. And she's like, Do you know Jean Soroka? Said, Well, that was my dad. And it turns out Lisa was hired by my father in 1987. And she's been with the company now ever since she and she's always worked at that station in New Orleans. And she just looked at me and she said, He was such a gentleman, such a kind man. And he knew my mom, and this and that, and the other thing. And I guess Lisa's mom also worked for the company. And so I'm standing, you can imagine this. I'm standing there on the jetway. She is just outside telling me all this. And I just came off of this visit to my school, which brought back all these memories. And again, great memories, but you feel like you're 20 years old again, 22 years old. And this lady's telling me about my dad.

unknown 23:59

Wow.

Gene Seroka 24:00

Just amazing.

Christopher Luna 24:01

Wow.

Gene Seroka 24:01

And then we're sitting there on the tarmac for a little while. They're loading up the luggage and all that kind of stuff. Lisa comes onto the airplane, walks back into economy, and starts telling me a couple more stories about my father. Like it was yesterday. And uh just happened. And it just happened last Monday. Last Tuesday, I'm sorry, last Tuesday morning. I was flying out of New Orleans over Dallas to go up to Grand Rapids for another business meeting in Michigan. And she's telling me all this. I'm sitting on that airplane. And she kind of gave me a hug and said, Well, next time you're in, you know, let me know. And there's a uh there's another guy that worked in that same, in that same class, and he he apparently is still working too. But it was just all of this in like a 24-hour cycle was what we're trying to get to with this discussion here. What what makes you tick? Right. And it's just that. You know, you look up to your parents, you look up to people, sports stars, you know, whomever. And when you hear stories about them that really humanizes them, that tells you how how cool of a person or how good of a person they were, I I could have run through a brick wall at that moment. I really could have. It was just so touching.

Christopher Luna 25:15

My chest is hurting right now. I can't imagine how that felt to have someone like that remind you of your father. And um, I mean, I can't, I I can't imagine not having my parents. I'm so blessed to have my parents. They're in my dad's in his 80s, and they are they mean the world to me, and everything that I am is because of them, and I owe everything to them. And that legacy is so important, and I felt that that weight when I maintained that family business. It was literally the family business, and she made an industry. And to have someone bring that up to you just recently, and that name and that legacy still carries. Yeah, that's incredible. Yeah, it really is.

Gene Seroka 25:54

If you can hug your parents every day, if you can't, call them every day.

Defining Legacy Through New Talent

Christopher Luna 25:59

And and talking about legacy, what type of legacy do you feel what's your what's your what's your drive right now? Like what type of legacy do you feel you want to leave for for for others, for your employees and for the colleague and for the region when you step away from this role one day in the future or you know, hopefully not anytime soon, but you know, what type of legacy do you want to?

Gene Seroka 26:26

Yeah, I think in in the words of that great philosopher, Anthony Keatis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it only hurts when I land. And I have no intention of doing that anytime soon. I'm in great health, I'm energized every day, I love the work and the people that I'm around. I think legacy is probably for others to talk about. You know, no matter what you do, people are gonna talk about you, and that's okay. But I think what we want to keep doing is bringing good people into this industry. This supply chain, the port business, transportation usually flies under the radar unless there's a big issue, right? Like COVID-19. And we had all this cargo coming in, everybody was starting to buy online, and we had all the ships backed up outside the port because there was so much cargo.

Christopher Luna 27:15

Went through it.

Gene Seroka 27:16

And then recently it's the tariffs and the trade policy, now it's the Middle East and oil, and what does it do to shipping? So there have been a couple of moments in time where suddenly the supply chain and international trade becomes front page news. Let's use that spotlight. Let's try to attract, recruit, and retain good people to this industry.

Christopher Luna 27:37

It's not the spotlight, it's it's what you represent for the community internationally, literally, internationally. So you have that responsibility for all of us to communicate and to guide us through all of this because you are so well versed. You you you're an international person, you've you've been overseas, you've you've you've done so much. So when you speak, it carries so much weight and it means so much for us to have you represent us. That I don't know if I does that ever hit you at all?

Gene Seroka 28:12

Oh, yeah, it resonates a lot. But again, it goes back to that level of humility we talked about earlier, right? And and an old saying, you you take you take your job seriously, but not yourself, right? And I understand that this has a big impact on a lot of people. And maybe through that experience, good upbringing, great family, um, you know, public school education, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, taking a bite out of everything life has to offer, if I could share that story a little bit, which I tried to do back in New Orleans a couple weeks ago, maybe one kid likes this industry and joins us. So that's kind of what I'm getting at. You know, and sharing that story about what my own experience was, the the highs and the lows, but we need more good people in this industry. So if I'm known as a person who can pass that baton or bring that next generation up, that's fantastic.

Building A First Of Its Kind Campus

Christopher Luna 29:04

Part of this platform is to support the workforce development and to support that pipeline. I'm I'm I'm trying to work with the universities and and other nonprofits and really help amplify that workforce. And you, from what I'm from what I understand, you have a big project right now that you're working for in workforce. Can you can you tell me a little bit more about that?

Gene Seroka 29:26

Yeah, sure. We have an aspiration and a plan, and it's real and right in front of us, to build the nation's first workforce training campus geared to the supply chain in the port industry. Now, think of that. We're gonna celebrate our 250th anniversary as the United States of America, and this is gonna be the first training campus geared to goods movement. It's just amazing. You know, and we benchmark some places. There's a great facility in Antwerp, Belgium. There's another one up in Vancouver, BC, but we haven't done anything like that here in the United States. So once again, we're we probably got a little higher risk appetite than some, and maybe we bite off a little more than we could chew at other times. But this is really good. So it's gonna be about 20 acres of land at the port of Los Angeles, and it's gonna look like a port terminal. 20 acres. 20 acres. And it's gonna look like a port terminal. So the idea is that we can get people into this facility to train on how to move cargo, how to fix machines, how to code for all these computer systems we need in a real life environment, but in a safe environment. Most of our training in the industry today happens on a live terminal at a real port with cargo flying all over the place. You either can't keep up or you could get hurt. So let's shift gears a little bit and put folks in a situation where they can really succeed, but in a safe environment at a pace that's acceptable to the newest person or somebody who just wants to get new skills into their toolkit. So that's going to be pretty good. And it's a combination and partnership between the Port of Los Angeles, the California Workforce Development Board, the Pacific Merch, the Pacific Maritime Association, which is the employer group of about 75 companies, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the dock workers that move all this cargo, that iconic brand, the ILWU. And so the work that we're doing right now is all around design and what do you want the place to look like and what kind of training needs to be there. But I think it's going to be underscored by this agreement we have and partnership that's just been developed with the California Community College system. And it's the largest single educational institution in the United States. So they understand how to design classwork, how to build a syllabus and a curriculum. They also have real clear outlines on what it takes to do certification and accreditation in all kinds of work efforts. And so I think we've got the right players at the table, very knowledgeable people. And to be the first at it, you know, every now and then looking over the edge is a little bit scary, but I like our chances. I'm really excited about this.

Christopher Luna 32:07

That's incredible. And what prompted this idea?

Gene Seroka 32:10

We were talking a long time ago. Um, one of our commissioners, the late Dave Arian, who was international president for the ILW and local 13 president, thought that we really needed to get away from training people on the docks. And then if we did something like this, it could be a community-based effort. So it's not just for the people who are working at the port today, although that's a super important segment. As the supply chain changes, technology increases, and the equipment becomes more modern, these folks have to know how to operate it, how to maintain it, how to fix it when it when it doesn't work. And if you're my vintage and you've got the last 10 or 15 years of your career in front of you, but the industry's changing so much, you want to be super competitive to get those jobs. So we want to upskill and reskill that group. But we also want to be able to reach out to the younger generations, somebody who wants to shift careers, or maybe somebody that's just coming out of school that says, you know, I see that port every day. I just don't know how to get in. So we'll have a storefront with counselors. We'll have some real active people going out to colleges and universities, high schools, trade schools, you know, the jobs core right here in downtown LA is a great platform to get young people and others ready for the workforce. So we're gonna combine efforts in a few different ways and think of it as, you know, an old shopping mall, right? The ILW and their strong brand is gonna be our anchor store, like that big department store to get people in the mall. And then once, once they know that this is working, you're gonna get folks from all different walks of life interested and saying, I'd like to join this port, show me how.

Christopher Luna 33:54

I mean, throughout the the whole states. I mean, you'll have people coming from all over the world to come study here and to learn from this. I mean, I know for sure I would have loved to get in that role in that in that in that vertical because growing up and and and working internationally and importing product, you drive by that all the time. And again, you don't have like, how do I, who do I talk to? Right. If I would have, if I would have known about this a long time ago, I mean, someone like me would have definitely researched it and wanted to get involved. And there is a need for it. There's a need to to create that inspiration for this pipeline because I mean, it's hard to get good employees, it's hard to really spark that interest in something like this. Because I know in the water industry, they're having the same uh issues. You know, a lot of engineers and and I look at my kids now, I'm like, okay, where could I guide them? Um, because technology is evolving fast. You don't know um what's the appropriate channel.

Gene Seroka 34:51

Right, right. Now, this is this is gonna be really fun work, and it's another area that's kind of like a blank canvas. So we've got an opportunity really to do some things that are on the creative side, but also we know where our bread and butter is. The workforce is the heartbeat of this port. And it's it's really interesting because today, one in 15 working Angelinos has a job related to this port. One in nine people in Southern California, about a million of us go to work every day with a job directly related to this port. And it represents about one in 52 jobs nationwide. You know, so if we can do anything to give back to that workforce or open up doors for the workforce, I think it's an absolute necessity, but it's going to be super fun to do it. And that's one of my questions.

Christopher Luna 35:38

What responsibility do leaders have at your level to open doors for others? Yeah. Yeah.

Gene Seroka 35:43

And I think that's that's really interesting too. Again, it's, you know, it's doing things for people because you're genuine and you're true to yourself every day. Um, we just had our big industry conference, which was held in Long Beach, the uh Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference. I think it's the 26th consecutive year. And it's put on by SP Global and the Journal of Commerce. So folks that are really tied to this industry. We had over 4,400 delegates in town, and we had a reporter from the Financial Times ask us to talk a little bit about the port and especially around um difficult conditions like the shipfire of the Henry Hudson. And we come to find out, Chelsea Boyd, who I mentioned earlier, and I sat down with a reporter, and we come to find out she had just been assigned transportation from her editor, and it was her first trip covering transportation for the uh Financial Times. So she wanted to learn a lot more about the industry and and how it works and all that, in addition to the topic of lithium-ion batteries and ship fires and things of that nature. So we spent a little over an hour with her, and then I hear the next day that she was just so appreciative of us giving that time to her. So you just you're just trying to be your genuine self, you know, and spend time with people, open doors, and and where somebody asks for a little bit of time, that's the least you can do.

Christopher Luna 37:13

Oh my god, Jeannie, and you make us feel so special. I I remember I was in an event at USC and um, you know, it was a huge audience, and I was sitting towards the front, and you walk up on stage and you look at me, you're like, hey, Chris, right in front of everyone, I'm like, oh my God. I mean, someone at your capacity and your level to recognize everyone in the room, it's incredible. I've I've come across a lot of great leaders, and you are so humble. You make yourself available for you to be here today is so meaningful. And I know you don't have to do it. I I know there there's there's there's there's no one telling you, Gene, go do this. You do it out of your own passion, your own heart. What continues that drive? I mean, you're you're doing it all right now, but is there something that workforce development, environmental, all your your your your supporters, how do you manage it all? What how do you reset? Like, what do you do on your off time? Because is there ever an off moment where you get to enjoy?

Gene Seroka 38:16

No, but you can compartmentalize a little bit, you know, and and while these, you know, the reward for good work is usually more work, you know, but you're energized, you're having fun, you enjoy the people you work with, and there's meaningful things to accomplish. If we can reduce pollution, it means that the neighbors that we live and work with can breathe easier every day, that illnesses will become fewer and fewer. Um, and it's the right thing to do. You know, if we can bring more cargo in, it means more jobs. Every four containers that come through the port means a job. If we can help from my street to main street improve what we're doing, that's that's the goal. And it's really just it's a cool thing to be a part of. And that's exactly why you say it that way, that you're a part of something really big, because there are so many interdependencies, so many people that you count on, and it's reciprocals. A lot of people count on us to make the right decisions. And because you're the the head guy currently at a port, people look to that head guy to make sure that they're getting their due. And that's okay with me.

Be Visible Mobile Durable

Christopher Luna 39:24

And and at every level, I mean, everyone plays such an important role to the ecosystem. And uh, we have our editor in chief uh here, Rick Gibson, behind the scenes, um, who's writing an article about you on our inaugural issue of the magazine, and a lot of it's directed to the emergent leader. If someone's going through college right now in their early years in their career, what type of advice would you give them to drive for that success and to really have that guidance that we all seek? Because I think a lot of us are still seeking that guidance. Um, is there any piece of advice or a book maybe we should read? Like how do we get genes?

Gene Seroka 40:06

Yeah, this is kind of fresh in my mind because of my time back on the University of New Orleans campus recently. Um and it people remember things in three, so we'll try this one. I I would look at the younger person, the person in college right now, or the person entering the workforce. College is not not always necessary, but in this case, I was on that campus and I said, from my experience and where I've done well and where I haven't done so well, be visible, mobile, and durable. What I mean by that is, you know, with technology today, we're texting, we're phoning, we're doing, you know, video calls and this and that and the other thing as quickly as we can, so much information. But people want to hear from you. People want to see you. I like an interview when we're sitting face to face as opposed to one over the video call, because it's just you get a really great feel of the person you're speaking with, right? People want that. Whether it's your boss, whether it's the person you're selling your product to, your peers, your friends, they want to be around you. So do that. It's easy to send a text and you know, hey, I need to get this done. Give me this report, da-da-da-da. Spend a little time, be visible. Second, be mobile. You know, there are folks that, you know, want to grow up in their hometown and stay there their whole lives and all that. And that's great. You know, it's wonderful. When I run into people and they tell me they're fifth or sixth generation Angelino, man, I mean, that is something else. It really is. But what I found great is that because of my upbringing and because we had a little bit of flavor of the international community, I wanted to really get around and see things. So I've moved 13 times in my career. It's been a lot. You know, some stints have been short, others longer. This is 12 years now in LA. It's the longest time I've held one particular job, and I still didn't even feel like I'm halfway there. So that's how exciting this is. But be mobile, you know, get out and see customers. Get out and travel this great golden state with 840 miles of coastline. If you're offered the opportunity, move to a new city, learn a new job, right? Work in a different geography. And if you really get that call, go overseas. You know, whether it be Mexico, Central, South America, Asia, Europe, the UK, the African continent, take a bite out of life, see what you can do. And maybe sometimes, I know Marla Blevins, who works at the airport, used to say, sometimes you got to move up out to move up. And getting that experience is just something, right? And then on the last piece to be durable, you know, life's hard. Work is hard. And as you start making decisions and making recommendations, there's gonna be no shortage of advice. There are gonna be people that critique you, there'll be people that question you, and on occasion, people are gonna take jabs at you. So you got to have thick skin and you gotta be durable. You can't let a little bit of a bump on the road slow you down. Easier said than done. I know that. But be visible, be mobile, and be durable. And if if any of that helps someone, I think it's just a little bit of perspective of what I've learned on my own.

Global Etiquette And Just Say Hello

Christopher Luna 43:15

And I I love what you said about traveling abroad and and being international. Um, it was again, I I always talk about my parents, but my mom made me travel Hong Kong, Europe, um, and you're overseas in Asia and the Middle East. I think learning those traditions and learning how to respect different cultures. You right now in your role, you receive a many delegations from other countries, and being able to be hospitable in that process makes a big impact. It shows the type of leader you are. So, how can we learn those social cues? Because there's a lot of people that are born and raised here, but they don't have that opportunity. To learn that. Any suggestions on how we can pick up those those cues? Because there's a lot of them.

Gene Seroka 44:06

Yeah, there are. And you know, sometimes you stub your toe and you make mistakes. I I can remember a few that that I didn't do so well. But you know, if you just if you try to stay aware, if you try to hang around with someone that's walked that path before, and if you just observe, you know, you can learn a lot. Uh letting someone go through the door first before you, no matter who they are, where they are. Um saying hello, you know, um, I I tell you, Capri Maddox is a dear friend, and she's the general manager of the Los Angeles Civil Rights Department. And she's been in the city attorney's office. She's really famous here in town. And she designed this program, and I think it was the impetus of her husband, Kerman, who's also just an exquisite gentleman, a campaign here in LA called Just Say Hello. And they rolled it out about 14 months ago at a lunar new year event down at the port at Altisi. And it was just about, you know, life's tough, political environment's much different than it used to be, um, people on edge about the this national conversation of affordability. You know, there's just a lot on the family today. And Kerman and Capri said, you know, if we just, if you're walking down the street, just say hello, right? If you're in the elevator, say hi to somebody. And we had all these cool color-coded um giveaways put together. And we had just say hello in, I don't know, 15 different languages or something like that. And they always give me the Chinese one because I I can still speak just a little bit of Mandarin, enough to get by, right? And so we've been doing this rollout now for a little over a year, and it's just it's something really special. Now at the port, we've got a lot of cruise tourists that come through. So sure, you're gonna run into people every day you've never seen before, you may never see again. But it's that impression that you want to leave on somebody, and somebody leaves on you that can be just indelible. And and so taken off of Kerman and Capri's cue of just being a little bit kinder, a little bit nicer every single day, I found that it really makes a difference, you know. And when somebody, everybody's hustling, right? You're going to a meeting, you're running to the store, you're picking up your kids from from school, whatever the case may be. But if you just nod, if you just take that one second to say hello, it could mean the difference in in having a good day or having just a so-so day again. And it makes us stop. Yeah.

Christopher Luna 46:42

And and and just really be in the moment. Right. Uh I I do that all the time. And I and I pick that up being in Mexico's Buenos días, Buenas tardes, buenas noches. It's always, no matter who you walk past, it's if you don't say anything, it's rude. Right. Um, so having that exposure again really means a lot. And I think of my kids, and we need to expose them to a lot that we've learned. And I pick this up just being in the room with you and and being in that environment. I I remember I was I was tasked to receive a delegation, an ambassador, and I'm like, oh shoot, where do I sit him? Does he does his back face the door or does it face the window? And these are all social cues that I right away I read up on. But you know, these are things that we need to pick up on. And I would love, uh hopefully, there's some part of that workforce development side that teaches us this because there's certain etiquette that we should kind of learn.

Gene Seroka 47:36

Yeah, and and I gotta believe that this is one of the best places, if you're interested, to try to learn that. You know, Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean and Korean descent population anywhere outside of Korea. And the same story goes for Japan and a number of other locations around the world, right? We've got such a diverse population here. You're gonna run into people from all walks of life every day. And I can't remember the exact numbers, but we've got a couple hundred different neighborhoods in LA, and we've almost got the same amount of different languages and dialects that are spoken. You know, whether it's at home, in business, or on the road traveling internationally or whatever the case may be, this is truly an international and global city. So to be able to tap into that knowledge, right? You're doing something for the first time, like you mentioned, welcoming a delegation or an ambassador, I would think the first thing that comes to mind is let's ask the question, right, from someone who has walked that path before. Okay, how do I address the ambassador?

unknown 48:43

Right?

Gene Seroka 48:43

Where would she like to sit? You know, um, in the lineup of introductions and speeches, where does she want to speak and what is most appropriate? So, you know, there's a lot of great knowledge here in town. You make a great point. And let's ask the question, you know, because there's still every day, there's still things that I don't know. I I met the president of our university last week with uh uh Nerly, who runs the alumni board, the executive director. And as we're walking into the university president's office, I asked her, how should I address President Johnson? She says, you know, and she's from Australia, Narrowly. She says, you know, mate, she's probably gonna tell you to call a Kathy. I don't feel comfortable calling her Kathy, but sure enough, she did. But of course, in the in the very public setting, President Johnson, Dr. Johnson, thank you very much, you know, et cetera, et cetera. But it always, no matter who you are, it's always good to ask.

Christopher Luna 49:37

But that says so much about you, Mr. Gene Seroka, that someone like you will still ask those questions to have that respect for someone else at your capacity, at your level. So that's incredible. That I mean, uh, I was gonna say something too, is we uh going back to traveling abroad, you're mentioning California, Los Angeles. We are a global state, and we don't have to travel abroad. You're right. We can just go down the street, we can eat and and be in that environment, understand those languages, and and really pick up those social cues there and kind of learn that the culture.

Gene Seroka 50:12

And we've got the largest number of consuls general based right here in LA of any other place in the country. So, here again, in my business, port, international trade, overlay it with, you know, being a government job, public policy, working with elected and policy, uh elected and appointed officials, I lean on some of the CGs for guidance as well. Whether I'm going on an overseas business trip or we've got an event right here at home, uh, you know, Consul General Guo from the Chinese embassy, Peng Jing, um, and a number of other uh another folks, they're always, you know, available and a text away if we want to have a quick phone call and just to you know kind of pick their brains a little bit and say, okay, here's what we're trying to do. How would you recommend we go about it? And that's the cool thing about being in LA. You got access to so many great

Los Angeles On The World Stage

Gene Seroka 51:04

minds. And we got the World Cup coming. Oh, if this isn't the most exciting time to be in Los Angeles, uh I'd have to really struggle to find a second, right? We had the NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome. We've got a Super Bowl coming up. In between those two is the World Cup here in LA. And then following that will be the 34th Olympiad, followed by the Paralympics in 2028. And I mean, it's just one thing after another. And then, yeah, okay, well, why don't we throw in the Grammys and the Oscars and we'll do a couple other things too that are more traditional here, but still bring all the glamour and excitement. I mean, this really is a historic time in Los Angeles, and we've got a lot of work ahead of us, but once again, it's just a blast being a part of it.

Christopher Luna 51:51

That's that's incredible. I'm excited. I'm I'm excited to be here and to be here today with you. Um, it took uh some some time to to sit down with you, and I really do appreciate your team and everyone involved in making this happen. I know, again, your time is very valuable. Um thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Gene Seroka 52:11

Well, it's been great, you know, and I'll go back to the office. We've got a public safety briefing with Chief Gaze. Uh David Libatique and Aveen Sharma were texting me earlier. So there's always stuff going on. But when you get an opportunity to visit a platform like you've created, Christopher, and talk a little bit about what what your makeup is like, again, what makes you uh who you are, and still share about the importance of this harbor and the port complex, it's really a privilege. And I I thank you for giving us the opportunity here today.

Christopher Luna 52:45

And if you were to leave this this interview today, and people are gonna read upon it, um, hopefully a lot of people they will, um what what would you close us with?

Gene Seroka 52:59

That's probably the toughest question you've asked all afternoon, but I would say that you know, take a look out there at this city from where we're sitting on Figaroa Street right now. And there's there's a story in every building in every corner of this city, and that's what makes it so great. From Mayor Bass to our deputy mayor, Rachel Freeman, who I work with every day, and to the people that we see in the grocery store, the Elks Club, or just moving around town. This is a tremendous city with so much opportunity, and I'm just so proud to be a part of it. And that's what makes it great, right? People that are doing so much to raise up communities, businesses, and the people of Los Angeles. It's a real special time, and I'm I'm proud to be here at this moment.

Christopher Luna 53:48

Thank you again. Uh I I can't express enough how much I really appreciate your time. Um, it means a lot to all of us. I I there's a lot that we can learn that we're continuing to learn from you. Um, and thank you for what you do for us internationally. Um, like I said, you represent a lot of us, and I know you you you you feel that and you see that, but I just I have to say it again. Um, you do a lot. So thank you again for your time and your support and everything you do for the community.

Gene Seroka 54:16

Thank you, Christopher, and I'm pulling for you guys. I know this is going to be a great success. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Christopher Luna 54:22

I mean, thank thank you all again for all your support. It's incredible to be here and um join us on the next one.

Final Thanks And Subscribe Reminder

Narrator 1 54:29

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 help us bring more of the content to love. And be sure to follow us on social media for updates, behind the scene content, and to join the conversation. Until next time, keep leaving, keep innovating, and keep making a difference.