For the contract to extend for a third year, George Williamson must meet performance goals.
By STEVE HUETTEL
Published August 19, 2003
TAMPA - Director George Williamson has received a two-year contract extension that will keep him in the Port of Tampa's top job at least into 2006.
But the deal comes with a twist. For the contract to renew for a third year, Williamson must meet performance goals set by his bosses on the Tampa Port Authority governing board. The goals include boosting revenues from cargo shipping, cruise lines and land leases.
Port Authority chairman Joseph Diaz said Williamson is doing "a very fine job." He cited the growth of Tampa's cruise business and the selection of a Seattle company to help turn the port into a player in the container-cargo trade.
Port commissioners gave Williamson goals so they could judge his performance more objectively, he said. "In any business, you're evaluated on how you perform every day," Diaz said. "The port is a privately owned business that operates under government rules."
A former deputy director at the Tampa Port Authority, Williamson was a top executive at the Port of Houston Authority in 1998 when the board picked him to return and run the local agency. His original five-year contract didn't include performance standards.
"I'm looking forward not only to achieving the benchmarks as presented but also to pursuing other opportunities for the port," Williamson said Monday.
Port commissioners voted July 15 to extend his contract, which expires in January 2004. But the agreement wasn't final until Monday, when the last members signed off on the performance goals.
Williamson earns $195,000 a year. His base salary remains the same during the first year of the new contract, but commissioners can increase Williamson's compensation based on his annual review.
The contract goals include developing "new (revenue) and additions to existing revenue" from the agency's three main businesses: cargo, cruises and land leases. They also call for improving the port authority's ratio of debt to equity and updating its master plan.
The number of cruise passengers leaving from Tampa this year is expected to hit nearly 400,000 - almost twice as many as when Williamson became port director. Two new major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and a ferry to Mexico began sailing from Tampa in the past year.
The port authority also took steps to build up its tiny container cargo trade. The agency expects to sign a deal this fall for SSA Marine, a major cargo terminal operator, to handle containers and market Tampa's business in cargo shipped in 20- and 40-foot steel boxes.
But Williamson bumped heads this year with maritime businesses that lease port land or work on the waterfront.
Business leaders objected to the location of a new security gate that they said will delay their workers and customers. The gate debate underscored their belief that port authority staffers don't ask for or listen to their opinions on port issues, they said.
Diaz, the agency's chairman, said Williamson needs to work on improving relations. "It's extremely important to have good communications with our cargo tenants," he said. "Our tenants are the underpinnings of the port."
