Port of Los Angeles advances women in transportation industry

Two Port of Los Angeles executives have been honored by WTS Los Angeles (previously known as Women’s Transportation Seminar) for their outstanding leadership in promoting and advocating gender diversity within the global transportation industry.

Chief harbor engineer Dina Aryan-Zahlan has been named WTS-Los Angeles 2022 Woman of the Year. The award recognizes a female leader in the transportation field who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, and directly contributed to the advancement of women and minorities through programs or opportunities in the transportation field.

Additionally, deputy executive director of development Tony Gioiello earned the WTS-Los Angeles 2022 Honorable Ray LaHood Award. The award recognizes a man who has sought out opportunities to advance and advocate for women in the workplace, and actively ensure that women are able to compete for key positions of authority within their own organization.

“Leading by example, both Dina and Tony have paved the way for advancing women in the workplace and promoting gender diversity in the transportation field,” said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka. “Because of their leadership and commitment, women now represent 30% of the professional engineering workforce at the Port of Los Angeles. We are proud to join with WTS in honoring and recognizing these two exemplary executives.”

Appointed chief harbor engineer in 2022, Aryan-Zahlan oversees the day-to-day activities of the Port’s Engineering Division, responsible for the planning and design of port infrastructure and facilities that support a wide variety of operations at the port complex. She joined the Port as a construction manager in 2000, was promoted to harbor engineer-chief of design in 2003, and to assistant chief harbor engineer in 2015.

Gioiello oversees approximately 450 employees in the engineering, construction, construction and maintenance, and goods movement divisions. Gioiello was promoted to deputy executive director of development in 2015 after serving as the port’s chief harbor engineer for 12 years. He had previously led various sections within the port’s engineering division. Gioiello began his career at the port in 1980 as a student engineer.

WTS Los Angeles is one of the largest chapters of WTS International, a 6,500-strong global organization dedicated to the advancement of women in transportation, and to creating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable transportation industry through the advancement of women. The mission of WTS is to attract, retain and advance women in transportation, and promote gender diversity opportunities.

The busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, the Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the number one container port in the United States for 22 consecutive years. In 2021, the Port facilitated $294 billion in trade and handled a total of 10.7 million container units, the busiest calendar year in the Port’s 115-year history. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

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