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Chief of Staff: Mary T. Hoang
Counsel: Rachit J. Choksi
Senior Advisor – Legislative/Public Affairs: John K. DeCrosta

Contact
Phone: 202-523-5911
E-mail: mcordero@fmc.gov

Chairman Mario Cordero of Long Beach, California, was designated Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) by President Barack Obama on April 1, 2013. Prior to being designated Chairman, Mr. Cordero was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a Commissioner beginning June 3, 2011. He was reconfirmed on October 8th 2015, for a term set to expire on June 30, 2019. In his role as Chairman, Mr. Cordero brings with him over thirty years of private legal practice and decades of public service – including serving eight years on the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Long Beach (POLB)

Prior to serving at the federal level, Chairman Cordero was very active in the Long Beach maritime community. While a POLB Commissioner, beginning in 2003, Chairman Cordero spearheaded the Port of Long Beach’s pioneering Green Port Policy, a policy aimed at reconciling economic growth and environmental stewardship to achieve long-term, sustainable port development. He also served as President of the Port of Long Beach’s managing body

Concurrent with his leadership positions on the POLB, Chairman Cordero served on the Executive Board for the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) Latin American delegation. In this role, he led efforts to develop policies for greater cooperation, increased trade, and joint growth across the combined North American and Latin American footprint.

Under his leadership, the FMC has undergone monumental change and received accolades from Congress, the Administration, and, most importantly, stakeholders, for its attentive and careful approach to facilitating solutions to several paramount issues. These issues have included concerns arising from container weight rules that affected cargo movement, new and unsubstantiated chassis fee proposals that affected the largest port complex in the United States, management of the PierPass program on the West Coast (designed to eliminate congestion and promote efficiency), and the international bankruptcy of South Korean carrier Hanjin.

Notably, in March 2016, Chairman Cordero was invited to testify in the United States Senate regarding the state of the United States maritime industry.

In 2015, the FMC received an award for being the 2015 Most Improved Small Agency, as part of rankings released by the Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte. The rankings are based on data from the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and provided rankings in 14 categories. The Commission achieved positive gains in all categories, the most significant being in Effective Leadership (Empowerment), Strategic Leadership, Training and Development, and Support for Diversity. The recent 2016 FEVS results again indicate increased employee satisfaction.

On September 29, 2015, Chairman Cordero accepted the Connie Award from the Containerization & Intermodal Institute, given to those who have contributed to the evolution of the containerized shipping industry. Further, in August 2016, he received the prestigious Malcom McLean Award from the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers, given in recognition of his efforts to be inclusive, encourage open dialogue on key issues affecting intermodal commerce, and put forth forward-thinking initiatives, which facilitated progress and partnership amongst the stakeholders at the Port of New York & New Jersey.

Chairman Cordero has taught political science at Long Beach City College. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach, and his law degree from the University of Santa Clara.