The Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday said it appointed Susan Winfree to executive vice president, chief operating officer, to replace Charles “Chuck” Darrell, who recently retired after 11 years with SANYNJ and nearly 45 years in the industry.
Winfree escalates from her role as vice president, workforce development, and corporate diversity officer. That position will be filled by Thomas Barattini, who will oversee, develop and implement recruiting and hiring processes for the port workforce.
In the new role, Winfree will be responsible for oversight and coordination of the daily operations associated with the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the International Longshoremen’s Association in the Port of New York and New Jersey as well as the Port Police and Guards Union.
“The Port of New York and New Jersey is at a critical transition period and has the potential to greatly enhance the region’s economy through one of its most important, and growing, sectors. Susan and Tom’s strong leadership and experience will help guide our organization and advance the competitiveness of the port and they will help ensure the efficiency, safety, quality and diversity of marine cargo operations,” John Nardi, president of SANYNJ, said.
Winfree joined NYSA in 2010 and served as the director of workforce development and safety at the NYSA-ILA-PPGU Training Center, located in Port Elizabeth, where she was instrumental in restructuring the workforce training programs and increasing safety awareness and education in the Port of New York and New Jersey.
In 2013 she was promoted to vice president, workforce development, and corporate diversity officer, where she spearheaded the hiring of over 1,000 longshore workers, including over 700 U.S. military veterans, during her tenure.
Prior to NYSA, Winfree worked with Trans Freight Lines followed by Sea-Land Services, where she held positions of marine manager and terminal operations manager in the Port of Portsmouth, overseeing berth expansion and gate process improvement projects, and terminal operations manager in the ports of Baltimore and Elizabeth. Winfree is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, and holds a Master of Arts from Monmouth University.
Barattini joined NYSA in May 2022 as the director of workforce development. Prior to this, he was employed at Hapag-Lloyd for over 30 years in various commercial and operational roles, including in his last few years as the director, procurement, overseeing all intermodal and terminal procurement for North America.
