Candidates for the Port of Palm Beach Commission race in District 4 are Blair Ciklin and Serge D'Haiti.
The Port of Palm Beach Commission is an independent special district governed by five commissioners, who serve four-year terms and are elected by voters within the Port District.
The candidate with the most votes in the District 4 race wins the seat.
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Ciklin, 76, from Palm Beach Gardens, is the incumbent Port of Palm Beach commissioner, a former chair of the Port, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a former first vice president at Morgan Stanley.
His campaign priorities included overseeing the Port's upcoming capital improvement projects, estimated at approximately $244 million. He said those projects will require careful planning, proper timing, strong financial oversight and thoughtful decision-making, and that experienced leadership is needed to guide large-scale infrastructure investments.
D'Hait, 43, from West Palm Beach, is an accountant and auditor, managing member of a CPA firm, and a former employee of state financial and revenue agencies. His campaign priorities included bringing a fresh perspective to the Port of Palm Beach's long-term growth and positioning.
He supports attracting new tourism opportunities, including a casino cruise line, and investing in land to expand storage capacity for bulk cargo and refrigerated logistics operators.
He also sees opportunities to expand warehousing and last-mile delivery operations, create workforce training programs in logistics and maritime careers, and strengthen the Port's communications and branding to support economic development and trade with Caribbean markets.
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Blair Ciklin, 76, from Palm Beach Gardens, is the incumbent Port of Palm Beach commissioner, a former chair of the Port, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a former first vice president at Morgan Stanley. He holds a bachelor's degree from Muskingum University.
His campaign priorities include overseeing the Port's upcoming capital improvement projects, estimated at approximately $244 million. He said those projects will require careful planning, proper timing, strong financial oversight and thoughtful decision-making, and that experienced leadership is needed to guide large-scale infrastructure investments.
When asked in a Palm Beach Post questionnaire why voters should choose him, he replied:
"I have proven that having the experience gained from years of dedication serving as a Port Commissioner provides better long-term planning decisions by understanding how we have grown and why.
"Global markets and changes in marine cargo routes is just part of the institutional knowledge needed. Cruise line tourism forecasting, what our sister ports in Florida are doing, and what new industries are moving into our region are all part of the equation that goes into making sound business decisions for the Port."
Serge W. D'Hait, 43, from West Palm Beach, is an accountant and auditor, managing member of a CPA firm, and a former employee of state financial and revenue agencies. He holds a doctorate and is the managing member of Serge W. D'Hait CPA PLLC.
His campaign priorities include bringing a fresh perspective to the Port of Palm Beach's long-term growth and positioning. He supports attracting new tourism opportunities, including a casino cruise line, and investing in land to expand storage capacity for bulk cargo and refrigerated logistics operators. He also sees opportunities to expand warehousing and last-mile delivery operations, create workforce training programs in logistics and maritime careers, and strengthen the Port's communications and branding to support economic development and trade with Caribbean markets.
When asked in a Palm Beach Post questionnaire why voters should choose him, he replied:
"This is an opportunity to get a fresh perspective on allowing the Port to strengthen its position in the upcoming decades. We are in a new economy, and a look at the utilization of the Port's resources is needed to benefit the domestic and international markets."
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Port of Palm Beach District 4 race between Blair Ciklin, Serge D'Haiti