From left to right: Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Commissioner Bonnie Lowenthal, Robert Loya, Sal DiCostanzo, and Dr. Tom O'Brien.

This year’s CITT State of the Trade and Transportation Industry Town Hall celebrated the legacy of resilience in our Port Town communities. Town Hall attendees ranged from supply chain and transportation industry veterans to community stakeholders to students—each in their own way reflecting on the importance of global trade to our community. After an opening reception with performances by Cabrillo High School’s Marching Jaguars and Spirit Squad, the crowd gathered in the auditorium to hear welcoming remarks from representatives in local government and education, celebrate the presentation of the Domenick Miretti Award to Guy Fox, and glean insights from an expert panel. More than 300 people gathered at Cabrillo High School in West Long Beach for the event. California State University, Long Beach and the CITT team are grateful to all participants and attendees for making the 2025 Town Hall a success.

“Let’s talk about what resilience means,” said CITT Executive Tyler Reeb (pictured above) as he introduced the expert panel. “Resilience means you can stand the test of time. You get knocked down, you get back up, and you don't get knocked down that often because your foundation is strong. Your foundation is strong because you’re bulwarked by strong partnerships. And we’ve seen that kind of bulwarking tonight. We heard from the leadership of Long Beach Unified School District. We saw passion from young people, the next generation. We heard from our Vice Mayor championing the importance of our ports and our young people. We heard from leadership in our CSU Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Savage, talking about the importance of using Professional and Continuing Education to connect students matriculating through traditional academia but also incumbent workers – people displaced. There are a whole host of ways that the extended supply chain economy can empower young people and people of all ages to improve their lot in life, give them meaningful work, and help contribute to the country. That’s what resilience means to me.”

Dr. Noel Hacegaba and Robert Loya enjoy the reception in the company of two Town Hall attendees.

Cabrillo High School cheerleaders bring energy to the evening's event. 

The Marching Jaguars assemble during the reception preceding the event.

“Resilience is a muscle you develop over time, so it seemed fitting that this Town Hall take place at Cabrillo High School in a resilient West Long Beach community and with a call to action to young people to become resilient through a commitment to education,” Dr. Tom O’Brien said. O’Brien presently serves as an Associate Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Education at CSULB. O’Brien moderated this year’s expert panel as they tackled the question, “What is Port Town Resilience?”

O’Brien (pictured above at the far right) was joined on stage by established leaders in our region’s trade and transportation industry (pictured above from left to right): Dr, Noel Hacegaba, Ph.D., Chief Operations Officer for the Port of Long Beach; Commissioner Bonnie Lowenthal of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners: Robert Loya, the Chief Executive Officer of the Harbor Trucking Association; and Sal DiCostanzo, Port Liaison / Labor Relations Representative for International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Local 13.

Despite persistent anxieties reported by newsrooms across California and the nation, panelists did not address the crowd in panicked tones. Instead, panelists were calm and frank, reflecting the theme of this year’s Town Hall: resilience. While all panelists acknowledged the difficulties and unease provoked by tariffs and trade uncertainty, not a single panelist claimed that this displaced longtime prerogatives. “The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have always been, and must always remain, economic engines for the surrounding community, as well as the region, state and nation,” said DiCostanzo. “All future port planning must balance environmental justice with economic justice, as we work to improve a climate that certainly needs our attention and a population that will increasingly struggle to find work in the era of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.”

Similarly, Robert Loya expressed the Harbor Trucking Association’s (HTA) gratitude for the Town Hall format and the atmosphere fostered by the event. “It is an honor to be included in this important conversation. Our members are the arteries of the supply chain, tirelessly connecting the port to communities across the nation. This opportunity to share our perspective underscores the collaborative spirit of the entire supply chain ecosystem, and we look forward to contributing to the dialogue on how we can all work together to build a more resilient future.”

“Goods movement is literally the economy in motion,” said Hacegaba. “The Port of Long Beach alone generates nearly 700,000 jobs in Southern California and more than 2.7 million across the nation. Resilience is vital to our ability to continue to support the local, regional, and national economy while we reduce the impact of port operations on our surrounding communities and continue to build the port of the future and prepare tomorrow’s workforce in collaboration with all of our partners and stakeholders.”

Rather than retreat in the face of uncertainty and difficulty, all panelists renewed commitment to the workforce and the community. CITT and its supporters have opened up a forum where regulatory hurdles, community priorities, workforce needs, and educational opportunities can be discussed openly and honestly – and in good humor. In doing so, CITT and the organizations represented by its Policy & Steering Committee have created a foundation that will allow Long Beach and the San Pedro Bay Port communities to thrive in uncertain times.

For more information on this year’s Town Hall, please view the program.

The Town Hall was filmed by CSULB’s Advanced Media Production Studios and will serve as the centerpiece of an educational documentary, “Serving a Region, Supplying a Nation: Understanding the Southern California Supply Chain,” which will be distributed in partnership with the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) to leaders in industry, education, government, and labor after the event.

CITT thanks our sponsors, speakers, presenters, and attendees for supporting the Town Hall and the mission of CITT. The Center would like to express special gratitude to Cabrillo High School for hosting this event and encouraging the attendance of Cabrillo students.

Welcoming Remarks:

Ngoc T. Nguyen, M.A.Ed., Principal, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School
Darnel Morris – Graduate of the Academy of Global Logistics, beginning undergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in Fall 2025.
Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, City of Long Beach and Councilmember, City of Long Beach, District 7.
Mandara D. Savage, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Chancellor CSU Office of the Chancellor, Division of Academic and Student Affairs
Brad Pollak, Director, Long Beach City College Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Ngoc T. Nguyen (left) and Darnel Morris (right) represent Cabrillo High School during Welcoming Remarks. Morris is a recent graduate of the Academy of Global Logistics who will begin his studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara this Fall.

The Honorable Roberto Uranga (left) hands the microphone off to Dr. Mandara Savage (right).

Dr. Mandara Savage delivers his welcoming remarks.

Figure 1 Long Beach Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisor Mike Huntley (left) and SBDC Director Brad Pollak (right) host an information table at the Town Hall.

Domenick Miretti Award:

Presented by Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer Port of Long Beach, and Mark Hirzel, Export Manager, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Guy Fox, this year’s award recipient.

From left to right: Dr. Noel Hacegaba, 2020 Miretti Award recipient Vivian Malauulu, 2025 Miretti Award recipient Guy Fox, founding CITT Executive Director and 2018 Miretti Award recipient Marianne Venieris Gastelum, and Mark Hirzel.

Expert Panelists:

Moderated by Dr. Tom O’Brien Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Professional and Continuing Education, California State University Long Beach
Sal DiCostanzo, Port Liaison / Labor Relations Representative, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13
Noel Hacegaba, Ph.D., Chief Operations Officer, Port of Long Beach
Commissioner Bonnie Lowenthal, Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners
Robert Loya, Chief Executive Officer, Harbor Trucking Association

CITT Research Associate Devin Martinez and Academy of Global Logistics students from Cabrillo High School

Alice Castellanos (left) and Anthony Pelesasa (right) of the Port of Long Beach host information table at the Town Hall.

Sponsors

Mitsubishi Cement Corporation
Dialed-In Partners
Santa Fe Importers
Supporters

Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)
Port of Long Beach
Long Beach Unified School District
America's SBDC
Academy of Global Logistics at Cabrillo High School