Following a nationwide search, the Connecticut Port Authority (CPA) has appointed Evan Matthews to serve as Connecticut’s new executive director, luring him from a comparable role in Rhode Island.
Since 2003, Matthews has worked for the Quonset Development Corp. (QDC) in Rhode Island, most recently serving as port director there, said Scott Bates, chairman of the Port Authority’s board of directors. The QDC is a quasi-state agency established as a special purpose subsidiary of the R.I. Commerce Corporation.
With Matthews at the helm, the Port of Davisville increased shipping traffic, growth in revenue and added infrastructure upgrades, Bates said. Matthews will be instrumental in helping Connecticut revitalize its ports and harbors, he added.
“Successfully recruiting a maritime professional of Evan’s caliber is a major win for Connecticut,” Bates said. “He knows first-hand the complexities of East Coast maritime development and has a proven track record of success.”
Matthews is also an adjunct professor at the University of Rhode Island, where he teaches coursework on logistics and maritime transportation.
Established by law in 2014, the CPA is a quasi-public agency that is responsible for marketing and coordinating the development of the state’s maritime economy.
