New London — After operating for more than a year through troubled waters without an executive director, the Connecticut Port Authority on Tuesday approved the hiring of John Henshaw, the former executive director of the Maine Port Authority.

Henshaw will start on Sept. 8 and comes to Connecticut to lead an authority that believes it has turned a corner from past controversy and accusations of financial and operational mismanagement.

Henshaw led the Maine Port Authority for 10 years, until his resignation in 2017, and is credited with helping to revitalize, expand and modernize the port of Portland, one of three main commercial cargo ports in the state. Under his leadership, rail was extended to Portland's marine terminal.  

His appointment and $200,000 annual salary were approved with a unanimous vote by the port authority’s board of commissioners during a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

David Kooris, chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority board of directors, said Henshaw is well-suited for the task ahead, having had a diversity of experience that includes running a similar authority to Connecticut’s and navigating some of the complex interrelationships between public and private stakeholders and various levels of government. The quasi-public agency is currently at the start of the $157 million project at State Pier in New London that brings together private and state money to modernize the port for the benefit of the offshore wind industry.

“This hiring is the culmination of a yearlong effort to build a strong foundation within the CPA that ensures John has what he needs to be successful in forwarding the CPA’s mission to grow Connecticut’s maritime economy,” Kooris said in a statement.

Henshaw made brief remarks at Tuesday’s meeting, expressing appreciation for the trust placed in him to lead the authority and for the opportunity to help build on the state’s maritime economy. He said he was planning a move with his wife to a home in Guilford.

“There is a tremendous amount of maritime opportunity in Connecticut right now,” Henshaw said in a statement. “Major investments to support port infrastructure and port operations are happening in all three of Connecticut’s deepwater ports, all the while there is a consistent interest in further investing in the small harbors and marinas that form the foundation of Connecticut’s coastal culture.”

“Having spoken with the board and reviewed the Authority’s new operating format, there are clear organizational similarities to those that have brought us success in Maine. I'm confident CPA has been buttoned-up to the point where it can be successful, and I think we can make a tremendous impact on Connecticut’s maritime future as we move forward,” he said.

During his time in Maine, Henshaw also served as a commissioner for the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Portland and serves as chairman of the board of advisors for International Association of Maritime and Port Executives, a group dedicated to developing and maintaining professional standards in the maritime industry. He is past president of the North Atlantic Ports Association.

Henshaw’s hire comes after a search and selection process conducted by a committee of the port authority, members of the state Office of Policy and Management and administration of Gov. Ned Lamont. The port authority had been under oversight at the state level and undergone changes to cope with previous scandals involving allegations of mismanagement that have damaged its reputation.

Henshaw fills a position left vacant since July 2019, when former Executive Director Evan Matthews was placed on paid administrative leave for alleged misconduct. He resigned on Oct. 1, 2019. A state audit revealed a lack of financial and operating protocols within the authority and Gov. Ned Lamont had stepped in to demand structural changes and better oversight.

“Governor Lamont’s directive to the Office of Policy and Management to take a direct and active role in the financial, operational, and strategic decisions and direction of the Connecticut Port Authority has yielded promising results — but there is more work to be done,” Melissa McCaw, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, said in a statement.

McCaw said OPM has worked with the board to “create necessary policies and procedures, rectify institutional deficiencies, and strengthen the organizational and functional framework to increase efficiencies, limit extraneous costs and activities, provide lucid guidelines for the agency, and enhance transparency.”

“This will help in putting the CPA into a compliant, sustainable and vibrant future,” she said. “This work has led to a fresh start and a clean slate for the new executive director to take the reins in a stabilized environment, equipped with the policy and governance infrastructure necessary for the success of the authority’s projects and mission and for assurance of the public trust.”

g.smith@theday.com