Commentary by Thomas Cloman and Michael Carter

The mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, has made his first appointments to the board of commissioners for the Port of Oakland. After careful deliberation, he has selected Victor Uno, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Margaret Gordon, co-chair of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project.
     These are excellent choices. Both are individuals with deep knowledge of Port issues and long-term commitment to Oakland’s health and prosperity. Mr. Dellums has always been a leader on Port issues. He is responsible for the fact that Oakland’s Port is today one of the largest in the nation. Without his actions in Congress, the dredging needed to accommodate new forms of shipping would never have occurred.
    Now, the mayor, through his appointments, is recognizing a new set of needs. Today, Oakland’s Port needs to become “double-green” — both financially profitable and environmentally green. One will not be achieved without the other.
    Margaret Gordon has been recognized by many for her work as a 21st-century leader able to pursue these double green goals for the Port for Oakland and the East Bay in general. She was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the statewide Goods Movement Working Group. She co-chairs the planning process for the Port’s Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan with Port Director Omar Benjamin. Just this month, she hosted environmental reporters from around the country on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency.
    Margaret has worked with community-based organizations to educate and inform them of the health impacts of air pollution. She was a key voice in the closure of the Red Star yeast factory, which had caused asthma problems for children and adults in West Oakland for decades. She has worked with small business owners, developers, governmental agencies and the residents in the community to forge relationships that benefit all parties. She is also a frequent guest speaker at UC Berkeley in public health, urban planning and law school classes.
    Margaret will bring a fresh, independent voice to the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners. She represents a segment of our community whose issues and concerns have often been shifted to the back burner. Margaret brings a devotion to local small businesses and the development of jobs for Oakland residents, and she deserves to represent the forgotten element of our community.
    Margaret’s appointment has been applauded by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Sierra Club, the West Oakland business community, Supervisor Keith Carson, the association of independent truckers and dozens of others.

Thomas Cloman is the regional vice president of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company and chairman of the board of the Oakland Black Board of Trade and Commerce. He can be reached at (510) 406- 1306 or chkheart@aol.com.

Michael Carter is the chairman of the board of the Black Wall Street Merchants Association. He can be reached at (888) 616-3110 or bswd@blackwallstreet.org.