It certainly has been a busy 2018 already for Elizabeth Warren. After returning from a recent trip to Hong Kong, Elizabeth recently caught up with METRANS to discuss her passion for logistics and transportation at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, her experience as a graduate student at USC, and her affinity to be in the midst of a technological revolution that the port industry is currently experiencing.

Originally from the Midwest, what many consider to be the heart of America, Master of Global Public Policy (MGPP) student Elizabeth Warren believes she truly is more Californian at heart. Everyone is looking for a break, a crack, or a sliver to get into their desired industry when they are young, and Warren was no exception. What she described as “divine intervention” was what brought her to work at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. Initially, what started as a cold call to a construction management company based in Orange County led to a series of events that evolved into a challenging and rewarding in professional life.

Prior to joining the USC community, Warren acquired a wealth of industry experience, working with the ports in Southern California, as well as those throughout the U.S. and Australia, for nearly 24 years. In addition to pursuing her master’s degree, Warren recently launched a new professional consulting practice of which she is president & CEO, Dialed-In Partners.  Prior to starting this company, she served for the past 12 years as the Executive Director of FuturePorts, an advocacy group that promotes active dialogue amongst business, community, and government leaders from many diverse sectors to build sustainable solutions in solving port, industry and community concerns.

Warren is breaking new ground at USC as part of the first graduating cohort of the joint program with University of Hong Kong that goes abroad to study in China.  The MGPP program includes five one-week residencies—the first and last at the USC Los Angeles campus, and the middle three in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. 

The Hong Kong residency took place in the first part of March, and Warren just returned from an exciting trip that, in addition to classroom instruction, included cultural visits and field trips to meet with Hong Kong’s leaders in government, business, nonprofits, and NGOs.  The MGPP cohort also hosted its first networking event with students and alumni from both USC and the University of Hong Kong. In addition, they researched and examined in-depth the role in which public policy affects decision-making by government, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders. Warren found this to be a particularly attractive feature of the program as it gave her and other students an international perspective of China’s public policy.  She plans to use this knowledge and education in international policy to expand her horizons, and to explore how it could be used in the logistics, port and international trade sectors.

During our interview, I asked Warren what continues to fuel her desire and expand her already abundant knowledge of public policy at the ports. Her reply focused on the subject of having passion. Essentially, the cost of not being in the know in an era of technological innovation is greater and serves as a great reminder that the ports never stay the same due to the dynamic nature of the industry affected by global trade. When speaking with Warren I felt a rousing tone in her voice as there seems to be much energy involved in working at the ports in the Southern California region, and upon the conclusion of our interview I got the sense that she has the determination to bring her valuable experience learned in China to continue to help her clients with public policy issues, and to promote the Southern California ports as the premier port complex in the U.S.

And it seems others agree.  Warren was just awarded a scholarship by World Trade Week (WTW), and will receive the check at the Annual WTW Breakfast on May 4 of this year.  She notes that this is especially rewarding because the selection honors her work and commitment to the ports and international trade industry, and she was selected by a panel of her industry peers. The METRANS family of centers congratulate Elizabeth and wish her all the best in her future career!

About the Author: Griffin Gonzales

Griffin Gonzales is a graduate Supply Chain Management student currently working in sustainable transportation at California State University, Long Beach. Upon the completion of his first year in the Supply Chain Management program, Griffin will be working for The Boeing Company as a Procurement Agent-intern in El Segundo, CA. For any inquires relating to this article or subject matter related to public policy, supply chains, transportation, and urban planning please contact him at [email protected]