Darryl Berger Elected As Chairman Of The Board For Port Of New Orleans And New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
The board of commissioners for the Port of New Orleans, who also serve as commissioners for the port-owned New Orleans Public Belt Corporation, met June 25 to elect new officers for the next fiscal year. The board elected Darryl Berger as chairman, William Langenstein as vice chairman and Charles Ponstein as secretary-treasurer.
Outgoing board chair Tara Hernandez will continue to serve as a commissioner for both organizations until her five-year term ends in July 2021.
“Chair Hernandez has done an excellent job during her tenure as chair, advancing many critically important initiatives for the port,” Berger said. “I look forward to continuing her positive vision and focusing on preparing Port NOLA for future growth. Together with my fellow commissioners and port leadership, we will also continue to successfully navigate through the challenges we face due to COVID-19 impacts.”
Berger has served on the two boards since his appointment in February 2017. He is founder and chairman of The Berger Company Inc. and is a well-known and well-respected real estate investor, developer and financier in the New Orleans area. Prior to his time on the board of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, Berger served as chairman of the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation for nine years. He is the immediate past chair of the Tulane University board of trustees and has also served on the board of trust of Vanderbilt University and the Isidore Newman School board of directors. Currently, he serves on the board of directors and executive committee of New Orleans and Company, formerly known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
He has been involved with the French Quarter Festival, French Quarter Management District, Vieux Carré Commission Foundation and University Medical Center. Berger and his wife, Louellen, are native New Orleanians and lifelong residents of the Crescent City.
The board of commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is made up of seven members who serve unsalaried, five-year staggered terms. The board is composed of members from throughout the port’s three-parish jurisdiction, with two members from Jefferson Parish, four from Orleans Parish and one from St. Bernard Parish.
Besides Berger, Langenstein, Ponstein and Hernandez, the Port NOLA and New Orleans Public Belt boards include Arnold Baker, Jack Jensen and Joseph Toomy.
