Vote Ciklin, Poole to port commission
The Port of Palm Beach has done well in recent years in creating jobs and attracting business to the county, all without adding a dime to residents' tax bills. Potential for significant additional growth lies ahead. Blair Ciklin for the Group 4 seat and Deandre Pool for the Group 5 seat are the best choices in their respective races.
Both are Democrats who would provide steadfast leadership at the port.
About the port: Who owns the Port of Palm Beach, where it is and other interesting facts
Ciklin, 73, is a financial adviser/first vice president at Morgan Stanley. He notes that he is the longest-serving port commissioner in the nation and has never missed a meeting. But, beyond mere consistency, he demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the port and where its possibilities lie. That would include providing expansion space for new businesses on land near the port, and coordinating with the City of Riviera Beach to encourage growth of existing port tenants, attract new ones and bolster the overall potential of the city's waterfront.
Ciklin's detailed knowledge and dedication have earned him another go in the port's Group 4 seat. His opponent, Republican Doreen Loretta Benson, did not respond to our candidate questionnaire or our request for an interview.
Deandre Poole is our preferred candidate for the Group 5 seat. He is 41, grew up in West Palm Beach's historic Pleasant City neighborhood and a senior instructor in communications and multimedia studies at FAU.
Poole holds the port's continued economic growth as his top priority for the commission seat. He pledges to work to finalize its master plan for growth and to press for improved maintenance dredging to ease ship access. He supports providing ships the ability to plug in to shore power, as an environmental measure.
He has served as president of the FAU faculty union for four years. He previously was vice chair of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party; chaired the City of West Palm Beach's Criminal Justice Advisory Committee; and the Coalition for Black Student Achievement of Palm Beach County.
Poole's opponent, Republican Roderick Oliver Clarke,e did not respond to our request for an interview.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Endorsement: Vote Ciklin, Poole, for Port of Palm Beach directors
