James J. White will earn $252,000 annually when he takes over as executive director of the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore Aug. 1, state Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari said yesterday.
White's appointment and salary were approved yesterday by the port commission, a six-member panel that oversees spending and hiring. The salary is $27,000 more than his predecessor, F. Brooks Royster III, earned and $78,000 more than White earned when he left the post in 2005.
White was appointed by former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, a Democrat, to the top port job in 1999 and oversaw a period of stability. Before his appointment, the port had seven directors in eight years. But White left after a dispute with the administration of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican. After calls from several people in the maritime community, new Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley offered him the job back last month.
While such changes are typical under new state leadership, the heads of the seaport and the airport often remain in place during administration shifts because they are accomplished professionals in the industry.
The port community credits Royster with quieting the uproar after White's departure, as well as bringing in business such as a new cruise ship line.
Royster said yesterday that he anticipated a smooth transition.
"He'll probably call me with questions about why I did some things and why I didn't do others," he said. "I didn't hesitate to call Jim when I came in."
Royster said after the port commission meeting, his last as the port's chief, that he expects the port to continue following its strategic plan, which calls for an emphasis on cargo that does not come in a metal container, the most common means of shipping. That cargo is still big business, but Baltimore's port has grown by targeting such niche cargo as paper, cars and construction and farm equipment.
White did not attend the meeting but has said that he expects to keep the port on the same course.
Porcari said White's salary is now what the market demands. He said the chief of the Oakland, Calif., port earns $252,000 and the head of the Savannah, Ga., port earns $250,000. The average salary for a port chief is $221,000, he said.
Porcari noted that White was taking a pay cut from his private sector job at Weehawken, N.J.-based stevedoring and terminal operating company Ceres Terminals Inc.
A compensation package for Royster, who is leaving about three years before his contract expires, has not yet been approved by the state. Royster said he would begin looking for another position in the region.
"I appreciate Brooks' leadership," Porcari said. "It's a small industry. I expect to keep working with him."
meredith.cohn@baltsun.com