Doug Otto has been named director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority. Otto has been serving as interim director since the retirement of John Driscoll in August.
Otto has worked in port operations for three decades, as chief engineering officer at the port and earlier as chief of the engineering division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District. During his Air Force career, he was commander of the Hurricane Hunter squadron, involved in 150 eyewall penetrations — including during Hurricane Katrina, where the team recorded 175 mph winds.
Port officials said they selected Otto to maintain consistent leadership during major capital investment projects now in progress.
“With more than one billion dollars in infrastructure investments underway across the Port, steady and consistent leadership from an experienced executive like Doug is essential,” said Zeke Smith, chairman of the Alabama Port Authority Board of Directors. “From commanding the Hurricane Hunters squadron to leading complex engineering projects, Doug’s proven discipline, leadership and technical expertise make him the right person to guide the Port through this critical phase of growth.
“The Port’s $1.1+ billion capital investment program includes the recently completed $425 million Mobile Harbor modernization project, which deepened the federal ship channel and the port’s berths to 50 feet,” the port explained in a press statement. “Ongoing investments at the Port of Mobile include the $38 million inter-terminal connector bridge, $109 million Phase IV expansion, and $130 million Phase V expansion at APM Terminals Mobile, along with a $100 million rehabilitation of the main docks complex and $230 million in upgrades to McDuffie Coal Terminal. Statewide, the port is developing a $100 million intermodal container transfer facility in Montgomery.
Otto is expected to serve as CEO through March 2027, when he plans to retire. In the meantime, he will help with the search for a long-term CEO.
“I am honored by the board’s trust and look forward to leading our team through this exciting time for Alabama’s port,” he said. “Together, we are delivering the infrastructure and strengthening the strategy that will define the port’s future success and Alabama’s role in global trade for generations to come.”
Otto is an Auburn graduate with a master’s from Georgia Institute of Technology.
