by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
One of the best views in Jacksonville may be from Rick Ferrin’s office.
Positioned on the St. Johns, Ferrin oversees the more than seven tons of cargo that comes through the Jacksonville Port Authority each year. Since June 1997, Ferrin has headed all activities at the port including planning, operations, marketing, administration and engineering. He reports directly to the port’s seven-member board of directors. The port recently signed a 30-year agreement with the Asian firm TraPac which will open the port to the Asia market for more than just automobiles, Ferrin said.
“We trade north and south, especially with Puerto Rico, we branched out to South America and maintained our position as a prominent port,” said Ferrin. “To round out our portfolio we needed a solid connection with Asia.”
The agreement was signed in August 2005. Prior to working at the port, Ferrin spent 20 years in the Army Corps of Engineers. He also is a professor for business and math courses at the University of Phoenix, Columbia College and FCCJ. He graduated from West Point in 1972 with a bachelor of science degree with a concentration in engineering. He received his master’s in civil engineering from Northwestern in 1980. He has one daughter, Jennifer, who is a veterinarian in Fernandina.