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ThePort of Baltimore
■
March/April 2014
Soundings
EVENTS
TrafficClubHonors ILALeader
‘InMemoriam’
T
hough the TrafficClub of Baltimore’sAnnual Dinner is
always a celebration of themany successful professional
relationships fostered throughout the transportation
industry, this year’s event alsohad
a touch of somberness. As an “in
memoriam” tribute, the TrafficClub’s
101st Annual Dinner heldMarch6
recognized the late
RichardP. Hughes,
Jr.
(at right) as its “Transportation
Person of theYear.”
A slide show of the former
International Longshoremen’s
Association (ILA) President flashed
up on large screens as the dinner got
under way, andHughes, whodied inSeptember at the age of 79,
was remembered throughout the crowd for his dedication and
straightforward approach to each task at hand.
Clockwise from top:
aVIPgathering;MPA
ExecutiveDirector
James J.White,
TransportationSecretary
James T. Smith, Jr.
andDeputy Secretary
Leif Dormsjo (MDOT
Planning andProject
Management); retired
ILA representative
Horace T. Alston; and
CraigBlinke of SunTrust
BankwithPat Frank of
JDF International.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYBILLMCALLEN
“He had the respect of everybody, andwhenhemade
decisions, you knew theywere the right decisions,” said
Charles
“Steamboat”Markowski
, Hughes’s cousin and ILA Local 953
President.
“Richie fought very hard for the Port of Baltimore,” noted
maritime consultant and former U.S. Rep.
HelenDelichBentley
.
“Hewanted it tobe up therewith the topports.”
Markowski added, “ThePort of Baltimorewas the love of his
life; family first, and then thePort.”
JDF International’s
Pat Frank
, who is 1st VicePresident of
the TrafficClub, saidHughes definitely deserved tobe honored
by the TrafficClub. “As a freight forwarder, I didn’t have direct
interactionwithhim, but I was always cognizant of the role labor
plays in the business of thePort andhis contributions to the
transportation community.”
TheAnnual Dinner is amajor fundraiser for the TrafficClub
of Baltimore, withproceeds going to various charities and a
scholarship fund.
“TheClubdraws people frommany diverse industries,” said
2ndVicePresident
CraigBlinke
, whoworkswithSunTrust Bank.
“It’s agreat way tobring the right folks in the industry together
in the right place.”
COURTESYOFMPA
